In the Life
by Living the day dream
Summary: This story takes place in the Voltron Force series, and is set up for after the episode "Black". It is how I imagine how it would've continued. There will definitely be some K/A, and other relationships too. I would mostly rate this "K" but I am rating it "T" because of some chapters just to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

In The Life

Authors note. This takes place in the Voltron Force series. Most of the story takes place after the episode Black, but there will be events that happen way before the five space explores ever came to Arus. I'm a new writer who has never done anything like this before so comments are welcomed. I hope you enjoy! I do not own Voltron or any of its characters, only my day dreams.

A ball. They were getting ready for the royal ball that evening. "Mommy?" A little girl with long golden hair asked as she looked up at her mother with her sparkling green eyes.

"What is it sweet Princess?" Her mother replied.

"Am I ever going to be as pretty as you?"

Her mother let out a small gasp and bent down putting her arm on her five year old daughter and turned her towards the mirror. "You already are," she said. "See you have long golden hair like me, emerald green eyes like me, and you." She was cut off by her distressed daughter.

"No mother thats not what I am talking about! You see my eyes don't glow the way yours do, when I walk I am not surrounded by the light that surrounds you, when I sing my voice is not angelic the way yours is. I know we look a lot a like but you shine and I don't, you're beautiful and I am not."

Her mother was taken aback by this, _she is five,_ she thought to herself. _Five. She isn't supposed to care about these things yet, but then again she is a princess, she will never have the life of a normal child. She must be above that._ "Darling." The mother comforted her child, turned her around and looked into her innocent eyes that mirrored hers. "There is a saying in life that in order to let your inner beauty shine you must deal with all that life gives you, accept it, then overcome it. As you don't let life take the beauty and goodness from your perspective of things, then the goodness and beauty will not be taken from you. You are too young right now but in time you will prove yourself and in time dearest one you will shine."

The child's eyes glisten with tears, "Promise?" She whispered.

"Promise." The mother firmly said.

"Is my beautiful princess all ready for the ball?" The child's father asked as he stood by the door way, his eyes met with his wife's eyes and he knew they were thinking the same thing. She's too young to worry about beauty, she shouldn't have to she was born with it and in time it would fully develop. The child raced and jumped into her fathers arms as he spread them out and caught her and twirled her in the air, after she was settled in his arms she kissed his cheek.

"Almost, I just need to go get my new shoes mommy got me, they're pink just like my dress!" She said excitedly.

"Well go get them." Her father said as he put her down and she raced out of the room, only to be reminded that she must walk instead of run by her father.

The queen stood up and went to the king's open arms. They embraced for only a few seconds when the queen spoke. "Why are you having her get her shoes the ball? It doesn't start for two more hours."

He looked at her with loving eyes. "For diplomatic purposes of course." He said, this did nothing to hide the confused look of the queen so he went on to explain more. "The best news, my love. Zarkon has had a change of heart, I know. I didn't believe it at first, but he has released all of his slaves to the rightful planets they belong to. He has banished that witch Haggar, he put his son Lotor into an etiquette school, and he has asked to join with the Galaxy Alliance. Not only that but he has asked to speak with the three of us privately before the ball tonight, his ship is to land in a few minuets. He wants Lotor to get to know our daughter, even suggested that we set up an arrange marriage for them but I declined. I will not force our daughter to marry someone she does not love nor someone who doesn't love her."

The queen still looked worried, "This is great news but can Zarkon really be trusted?" She asked. She was met with a brief kiss that melted away her fears.

"Yes he is proving he can."

What the king and queen did not realize was that their five year old daughter stood outside the door listening to the whole conversation.

"Do you like them?" Their daughter asked raising her pink skirts to show her pink shoes, once she had entered the room.

"I love them." Her father replied and got on one knee so he could look in her eyes, "Just like I love you." The little girl smiled at this.

"Oh daddy, I love you too. But why isn't Arlena coming with us to meet Zarkon?"

Her father's eyebrows lifted in surprised, "You heard us talking?" The little princess nodded, her father frowned at her. "It is not princess-like to listen to a conversation with out letting the people know you are there." The little girl apologized promising not to do it again. Satisfied the king answered her question. "I asked him the same thing, his response was that since Arlena is our adopted daughter and not our heir he thought it would be better for his son to only met the heir, as he is only allowed to marry someone who is heir to a throne."

The child was still confused but accepted the answer, fifteen year old Arlena then entered the room and asked if they were going to Zarkon's ship yet. She was already informed about this matter thanks to her adopted father. She was to stay here and welcome any guest that arrived early and be the perfect host. Her adopted parents nodded and the four of them hugged and exchanged their love before she watched her parents and younger sister head toward Zarkon's ship that had just landed.

"No!" Allura gasped bolting up-right from her bed. _No._ She thought to herself. She knew where that dream was going to and she was _not_ going to finish it. That was twenty years ago, she refused to let it haunt her. _No._ She was stronger than that. After all these years she knew it was not healthy to pretend it never happened, she had to deal with it and seek solace otherwise she would never find peace and would eventually break down, and a queen could not afford that. A queen had to be strong for her people, they deserved a strong queen. Allura left her bed and went to the only place she knew where she could find solace tonight.

Her father's crypt.


	2. Chapter 2

In the Life

Chapter 2

"Can we just hurry and get this over with already?" Lance asked.

They were fighting the newest haggarium robeast that Maahox created. Maahox. He was supposed to be dead and they were supposed to be in a new era of peace. There was a lot of supposed to be's that never happened much to Keith's regret. For the next second his mind drifted to Allura and what could've been, but then he forced himself back to the present.

"What afraid you're going to miss you're date?" Keith responded in his dry humor way.

"Jealous that I've got the guts to ask a girl out?"

Oh that one hurt, it's not like he didn't have the guts to ask Allura out it's just they couldn't be together as long as he was commander of the black lion. As it was looking like that was still going to be a long time why would he want to torture both of them with a relationship that could never be more? No it was best that Allura find someone else, as much as it hurt to admit it was for the best.

"You're not going to miss it Lance its in five hours, you still got time, what's the rush?" Keith said in a voice more harsh than he meant it to be.

Lanced sighed, "It's nothing okay? It's just tonight is the big night and I want to look like I haven't been fighting a robeast all day."

Keith nodded, he knew when he asked what was the rush. Lance had been planning this for months, he was never serious about anyone. Until he met Keira, as far as Keith knew she was just like any other girl on this planet. Not to Lance though, something had changed in Lance when they first met.

"Alright team." Keith spoke over the intercom, "You heard Lance, let's finish this! Form blazing sword!" Keith yelled.

As a team Voltron defeated the robeast. Teamwork, that's what it is all about, none of them could've done it on their own, and that is something Daniel still needs to learn. Daniel. Keith thought, he was still infected with haggarium, and he still struggles to accept the treatment that Pidge and Vince have been coming up with. If Daniel could learn how to lead a team and conquer the haggarium infection, then he'd be ready for black. But that day still looked like it would be years away.

/

Allura may not have looked it, but she was exhausted and worn out. She had not gotten more than three hours of sleep, her nightmares becoming more persistent as the days grew closer to the twenty year mark of that horrid day.

Her day had been full of important paper work, meetings with people all the way from royal advisors to local farmers, each person and matter important but all for different reasons. She couldn't decide if she wanted to cheer or cry about the robeast interruption. She feared for the safety of her people, her planet, the Voltron Force, and specially for Keith, even though she knew she had no reason to. Keith is fully capable of taking care of himself. On the other hand the royal advisor that she had been talking to was bringing up marriage and how it was high time she married someone and provided a heir. She sighed on the inside, she knew her people longed for a heir, but she couldn't be with someone that wasn't Keith. Pain ripped in her chest as she thought back to that short time when hope had prevailed and Keith was going to be king and life would be perfect. Then Daniel... She refused to think further more on the subject. Daniel's sick and Keith is the black lion pilot, that's the way it is. She sighed to herself again, Daniel must get better, fate would not bring him to us only to take him away so soon. That would be cruel, and fate isn't cruel, at least it's not supposed to be...

Allura was relieved to learn that Voltron had won out against the Robeast. Arus was safe for another day, thanks to the Voltron Force. She walked to the control room for multiple reasons, to offer thanks and congratulations, to make sure each member was unharmed, and to escape the royal advisor Quin-Lynn's demand that she do something to change her single status. She refused to get married to anyone but Keith. Not that the royal advisor knew that, he was lead on the idea that she strongly didn't wish to be married.

Why wasn't it good enough that Larmina was her heir. _Because she's not of royal blood._ She thought and sighed once more knowing she was right. Larmina was another frustrating subject altogether, one that she loved however.

Larmina used to be so interested in Arus and the people and loved her studies. Then one day three years ago her dad caught the deadly river virus which had taken his life and the next day after that her mom Arlena disappeared. She didn't leave a note for Allura, but she did leave one for Larmina, who refused to let her read it. After that Larmina changed, anything that didn't deal with action and loud music she wasn't interested in. She always shut Allura out, never letting her help her cope with the sudden disappearances of both her parents. If only Larmina knew how dangerous this was. To walk down that path of thinking that you can overcome something like that alone, it would surely break her.

Then she acted as if Allura never cared that her mom disappeared, Allura had never thought it possible after the death of her parents but with the sudden disappearance of her sister she died again that day.

Pulling herself back to the present Allura asked Lance if he needed any help for tonight. It was a very big night after all. Lance smiled and said he had everything all under control and left the control room to go shower.

She could hardly believe how much things had changed between the original Voltron Force members. Sven was married to Romelle and had a one year old son named Eric (they went back for him after they had recharged the lions and by some miracle he agreed to start treatments for his haggarium infection), Pidge was on his honeymoon with his new wife Denise, Lance was proposing to his girlfriend Keira tonight, and it looked like Hunk was getting serious with his girlfriend Nora. That just left her and Keith. As always. _If only life would be so kind_ she wished, a life with Keith would be heaven no matter what challenges they faced. They would face them together. _If only..._

 _/_

Larmina groaned inwardly. Pidge needed to get back from his honeymoon now, she thought to herself as she ran from the control room to check up on Daniel in Medbay.

When ever a haggarium robeast attacked he was always sent there and he always had to be strapped down to a table. The nearness of the haggarium in that large of a dose caused him to lose all of his senses and would send him into a violent uncontrollable rage. It was for the best, but she didn't have to like it, none of them did. Pidge and Vince hadn't gotten any closer to developing a cure, the last major break through was eight months ago when they had found a way to stabilize it so it wouldn't get any worse. That's as far as they have gotten and she hoped that they would find a true cure soon.

It killed her to be a member of the Force when Daniel was missing, he was supposed to be a member of the Voltron Vorce, the leader even! And she would follow him anywhere...

She saw the hurt that being the only cadet caused him and she hoped that it would end soon. That's why Pidge had to get back from his honeymoon, he had to continue working to find the cure. Vince couldn't do it alone, and he hardly had time, they were frankly getting more and more robeast attacks from planet Doom. When Pidge and Vince found a cure a true cure, Daniel would be welcomed back to the Force, to black. Right where he belonged.


	3. Chapter 3

In the Life

Chapter 3

Keith took one glance at Allura and frowned, she was so tense. The battle was over, they won. Arus was safe for another day, so why did she still look so tense? It was probably Kingdom affairs, which didn't make him happy. He wasn't able to help much with Kingdom affairs but if the future would go his way for once, that would all change. Unfortunately it looked like it would be awhile.

"Allura." Keith called.

"What?" Allura replied jumping a bit, she was defiantly out of it. That was never a good sign, it usually meant that she was struggling with something and she wouldn't let on. Maybe he could coax it out of her and see what was going on.

"Are you okay? You look as though something is troubling you."

Allura looked at him with those dazzling green eyes that didn't just pierce through him but through his heart.

"I'm fine." She reassured him. "I was just thinking of a meeting I had a little bit ago with one of my royal advisors."

Keith's eyebrow raised a little at the news. "Want to tell me what it was about?" She tensed up again he noted to himself, it must've been something pretty serious.

"No."

There was no way he was going to accept that answer, what ever they had met about must be troubling her and he had no intentions of letting her carry those troubles alone. He was about to press for more information when Coran entered the control room requesting for a private audience with her Majesty. He watched her as she left the room, he would wait for now but he would find her later and find out what's troubling her.

/

Larmina barely made it in to the room where Daniel was staying before she stopped in her steps and was sent flying into a flash back.

 _She was standing in a hospital room right next to the bed that held the man she admired most of all. "Dad don't die. She begged. "I'm not going to die honey, I'm stronger than this virus. Just watch I'm going to beat this thing and then we can go..." He was c_ _u_ _t off by a huge fit of coughs then after a long couple of minuets he was able to stop coughing and catch his breath. She looked at him_ _h_ _er eyes watering, she tried to will herself not to cry but she couldn't. Her dad was dyi_ _n_ _g_ _,_ _she knew it. Her father looked at her and wiped her tears away. "Don't worry about me, I'm not going anywhere, I just need some rest." She looked deep into his electric blue eyes to make sure he wasn't lying. "I love you dad." He smiled. "I love you too kiddo."_

She forced herself back to the present, that was not her dad lying on the hospital bed dying. That was Daniel who was lying unconscious on the bed. She saw as the nurses untied the ropes that had to restrain him when the robeast attacked. It hurt her so much to know what he had to go through. Why couldn't this happen to somebody else? Why him? _Why?_

She felt tears threaten to surface, she couldn't let that happen. She didn't want to be weak while another person she cared for laid on a bed suffering until their last breath.

She had always fought her feelings for Daniel, she never wanted to care deeply enough about anybody to get wounded that deeply ever again. It's why she distanced herself from her aunt, why she tried to get out of diplomatic assignments to the people. She didn't want to get to know them, didn't want to care and wake up and have it all taken away. She would try to distract herself with music and things that she could hit head on that would get rid of the problem. She hated sitting on the sidelines not knowing what the outcome was going to be. She had tried to hide her feelings for Daniel by telling herself they were just friends, good friends, teammates, nothing more.

She took a deep breath to steady herself, preparing herself.

"How is he?"

"Its hard to say." The nurse replied. "He was screaming and trashing around for at least twenty minuets, he almost broke the restraints. Then he passed out cold, we've been monitoring him and his blood levels and everything didn't even out until after the robeast was defeated."

This was bad news, he's never passed out before. What if Pidge's and Vince's temporarily cure isn't working anymore, what if he dies? Larmina's heart pounded in her chest, she couldn't lose him too.

She wondered if her aunt had checked in on him yet, like she promised she would. She asked the nurse and was told that her aunt hadn't come yet. Of course Allura hadn't come, Larmina thought viciously. _Allura doesn't care._ It made her so mad, Allura never cared when it hit close to home.

Oh of course she cared about her people, her kingdom, her planet. Just not those few individuals who got the chance to know her. When Larmina's dad passed away she only shed a few tears, when her mom disappeared, she acknowledged the fact with tears running down her face, and Larmina was almost tricked into thinking she cared. Until she spent the rest of the day who knows where and when she came back she was a cold stone person who tried to comfort her. As if she didn't care herself! Larmina could almost hit something she was so angry. Now she acted liked she cared about Daniel's well being but she hadn't checked on him like she said she would, and the day was almost over. She didn't care.

The way she saw her aunt was that Allura cared from a distance but never enough that it would reach her heart, and she resented her for that. How lucky it must be for her, to never feel the pain of losing someone you loved...

/

Vince ran to the lab that he and Pidge had setup to find a cure for Daniel and Sven. During the robeast attack he could hear Daniel crying out in pain, no not pain that's too weak of a word. Agony. Uttermost agony. He had never been in that much pain before, and then all the sudden Daniel went silent. Almost like he died. Vince had to find the cure to save his best friend, he had too. He feared that if he didn't, Daniel's and Sven's time were coming to an end.

/

The terrace. Of course she was on the terrace, that is where she always went when she needed some air to think. Keith stood behind her and watched the woman he so deeply loved, just for a few seconds letting him imagine what could've been and might be supposing she hadn't married someone else by the time Daniel would take over Black Lion.

He could imagine holding her tight, kissing her lips, and having all their troubles melt away by their love. Holding her safe in his arms forever... He sighed. He was disappointed but not surprised by the fact that Allura didn't hear him approach, this is where she came when she needed to do some serious thinking, but how could he keep her safe if she didn't pay attention to her soundings? He stood by her side and placed his hand on top of her hand that was holding to the rail.

"Hey." She spoke rather softly.

"Hey." He replied back, he waited about two minuets before she spoke next.

"I saw Daniel not long ago, he was still unconscious. I take it you already knew that though."

Keith nodded.

"Yes, I had checked on him not long after Coran came to talk to you, Larmina was leaving when I arrived."

He noticed she tensed up after he mentioned Coran.

"Allura, what's wrong?"

He turned her so that she would have to look at him. She looked down at the hem of her blue and white dress.

"Daniel is not getting better." She whispered.

"But were going to get him better." Keith said gently pulling her face up so her eyes could met his. "Now do you mind telling me what is really troubling you?"

Her eyes pierced his heart as tears spilled over them.

"Oh Keith." She turned away, closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "The royal advisors met, all thirteen of them. They had a meeting about me and the fact that I had not granted the people's wish of marrying and providing an heir. They will not accept Larmina since she is not of royal blood. They brought up that for a princess of Arus it is ideal to be married at the age of seventeen and provide an heir shortly after. They said since I am twenty-five, queen, and am still single." She paused and took another deep breath. "I have seventy days starting tomorrow, to choose someone to marry otherwise they shall choose for me. They also decided to let me know that they have invited many princes from many different planets to court me those seventy days so I can have the best selection that there is. And to expect them within a week."

Keith's heart sank so low, he was torn in half. This couldn't be true, they loved each other. How could he stand aside and watch her marry someone she had just met? Then the other side the commander side of him came on, of course she hast to marry a prince and soon. Her people have been begging for an heir, she needs someone who was born to rule, and that someone isn't me, it was foolish even to think.

/

"Keith, please say something." Allura's voice broke, she had turned around to see his reaction after he didn't say anything. "And don't say something the commander of the Voltron Force would say. Because I already know what he would say, I already know what the queen would say, and I know what all of Arus would say. But please, tell me what Keith, they guy I fell in love with, would say. Tonight, if only tonight let's not be commander and queen, just Keith and Allura."

She dove into his arms after that and buried her head in his chest, unable to keep back the tears. There was another reason altogether as to why she opposed arrange marriages even if she did get some say in the matter. She knew she needed to tell Keith but she could not bring herself to tonight. Right now she needed to feel his closeness, she needed to feel his strength and confidence that everything was going to be alright because she was so sure it wasn't going to be. She loved this man for so many reasons, it was impossible to recognize all of them.

She was ever grateful for him and was ever amazed that a man as wonderful as him chose to love her. He didn't care if she wasn't strong all the time, he loved her and carried her through her weak times. How could she ever marry someone else? Someone else who expected perfection. Just the thought of it made her tired. She couldn't be with anyone but Keith, her heart had always belonged to him.

/

Allura was shaking in his arms, and frankly he was too shocked to speak. He knew that as long as there was a single ruler on the throne instead of two monarchs that if the thirteen royal advisors unanimously agreed on a subject they could over rule that single monarch, but he never would've thought that they would force Allura into marrying. He never would've thought that Coran would agree to such a thing, apparently he was wrong.

He wrapped Allura in his arms holding her close as he realized he might not be able to much longer.

"You want to know what I think?" He said trying to sooth her. "I think, no, I know. I know we are going to find a way around this. I don't know how, at least not yet. But we will. Daniel is going to get better, he is going to become one of the best leaders the universe has ever known and he is going to lead us into an era of peace. You and me are going to be happily wed and have that family we've always dreamed about. I love you Allura, and I am _not_ going to stand by and let you live our life with somebody else."

Allura looked up into his fierce icy blue eyes and started to say something that started with a but. Keith cut her off before she could say anymore. "No buts my love." He said. "We will save those for the morning. Tonight we are just two people in love." Keith gently pulled her face to met his kiss.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's note

I hope you all have been enjoying the story, I try to update it about once a week. It's about to get more complicated in the next couple of chapters so I hope you all keep up. Once again I do not own Voltron or any of the characters. Anyways, please read, comment and enjoy!

In the Life

Chapter 4

The official announcement was made the next morning. There was to be seven suitors of royal or nobel birth who would come to Arus to court the Queen for seventy days, at the end of which she would choose one of them (or someone else who is of royal or nobel birth that was not part of the seven), to be her royal consort and Arus's king. If she was unable to choose the majority pick of the royal advisors would choose for her. The people were overjoyed at the news, the Voltron Force however was thrown in to chaos.

In the control room, they were all in the control room. "I can't believe you would agree to that Allura!" Lance practically yelled out. "I thought you loved..."

Allura cut him off before he could finish. "I didn't agree to anything Lance, I never would. This decision was made by the Royal Thirteen, I didn't get a choice in the matter."

Lance was shocked, "Coran agreed to this?" He was in total disbelief, "I'm going to..."

Again Allura cut him off. "He has his reasons Lance, leave him be." Allura sighed and looked down she was not in the mood for arguing. She had other things to worry about, they all did. How to get Daniel and Sven better needed to be their first priority, not just for obvious reasons, yesterdays attack left them both passed out for hours. That could only mean one thing.

"So do you know any of them?" Hunk interrupted her train of thought.

"What?"

"The suitors. Do you know any of them?"

"Yes." Allura nodded. "I do, and you all have to promise to get along, most of them have interesting perspectives that do not match ours. But that is besides the point, its all besides the point. Right now we need to focus on getting Daniel and Sven better, we all know that yesterday's battle took a lot out of them." She looked at Keith hoping he would take over this discussion.

Keith nodded and put his arm around Allura. When there wasn't any royal advisors or servants around they would usually be touching in some way. They knew their time was coming to an end and neither wanted to let the other go. "We all know that Sven's and Daniel's reaction was a first. Pidge and Vince have been working on finding a cure but have hit a roadblock. With Pidge being gone for the next two weeks it is likely that we will face another haggarium attack before he gets back. That means if Vince can't..."

"Hold it!" Larmina interrupted, she looked around making sure everyone's attention was on her. "Before we get into anything else." She paused looking straight at her aunt. "Does this mean that _your_ suitors have to live in the castle with _us?_

"Yes Larmina, that is exactly what it means. I don't like it anymore than you do."

"Oh no! I am not living with a bunch of royal snobs!"

Allura silenced her niece with a pointed look that said we will talk about this later. "Continue on Keith."

/

Vince sat in the laboratory he and Pidge had created, it was devoted for finding a cure for haggarium infections. They were progressing smoothly until eight months ago when they hit a roadblock, they hadn't been able to make any progress since. It had always been a priority to him to find the cure. He had his personal reasons to, but now.

Keith didn't have to say it, if he and Pidge can't find the cure in seventy days, he would lose the chance of being with the love of his life and would be forced to watch her with someone else. Keith didn't say it but he felt the pressure. Pidge was gone on his honeymoon for two more weeks, and even when he got back there is no way he would leave his wife for the whole seventy days to try to help find the cure. Pidge would try but he couldn't be away from Denise for long, he found his perfect match in her and it was hard for them to be apart.

Vince tried to clear his mind of everything except of finding the cure, its what he had to do. Daniel was getting worse, Sven too.

"Hey Vince whatcha up to?" Daniel asked as he came into the room.

"Oh the usual, you know trying to find a cure for your haggarium infection."

"Wanna take a break and check out this new addition I added to the layer? It's pretty sweet."

Vince just stared at Daniel, he knew Daniel was uncomfortable talking about his infection. In fact Daniel said that if the team would give him more chances he could fight it off himself. To be blunt, Daniel didn't like being weak so he would try to prove himself in ways that were more harmful than helpful. "Aren't you supposed to be in class with Keith?" He asked.

"Well... About that Keith was getting rather boring in his leadership class. He kept on repeating things that I already knew. I wish that he could grasp the fact that I can lead and I'm ready for it. Anyway he could see that I was getting bored and gave me an assignment and let me go."

Vince loved Daniel like a brother but he was getting highly irritated with him. He acted as if he had no haggarium infection and that he had no care in the world. Didn't he realize how bad things were about to get, his infection was getting worse. "You know you should really take Keith seriously. He has your best interest at heart." Daniel gave him a look a pointed look.

Vince thought it was best to change the subject as he knew he was getting nowhere. "But I can't check on what you did to the layer, I need to run these test."

"Of course you do." Daniel said, his shoulders sagging and walked away.

/

 _Ugh_. Daniel thought to himself. He hated the way he was being treated by the team. Ever since they found out about his infection they all treated him like he was fragile, no not just that but a failure. He was supposed to be the pilot of the black lion, not some test subject. He wanted and needed to prove himself already, and he couldn't wait for Vince and Pidge to find a cure. That wasn't going to happen for a long while. If the team wouldn't give him a chance, he would have to make one.

He _knew_ he could overcome this. Yes, he had succumbed to the haggarium a couple of times, but there had been many times he had kept control. He just wanted to be treated like part of the team he knew he was supposed to be the leader of.

/

It had been a long _long_ day, Keith thought to himself. It was hard to watch his friends, his team realize that he and Allura would probably not get the happy ending they've dreamed of. Keith had thought that him and Allura had kept their feelings for each other well hidden from the rest of the team. Of course they had suspected, but they were never sure. Not until about ten months ago when things looked like they were going to work out, they had then decided to let the team know, but had waited to tell anyone else. Now he didn't know if that was a smart move, if the people had known, maybe they would've been okay with waiting for their queen to marry. But then, maybe not.

He sighed he left the terrace to go to the simulator, he needed to let the frustration out of him. Even by some miracle if they found a cure for Daniel, Keith was loosing hope that Daniel would develop the leadership skills that were vital in order to pilot black lion. Daniel wanted to prove himself, which Keith could understand. But Daniel wanted to prove himself by himself, not with the help of the team. Daniel seemed to miss the whole team theme, he seemed to think that leading a team was having them obey every order without question. It was so much more than that, leading a team meant that the leader would look at all courses of action, listen to what each team member hast to say, weighing out all the pros and cons, and then acting. Daniel skipped all of that and would just act expecting everyone else to follow.

Maybe it was time to request another cadet from the Galaxy Alliance. He knew it would hurt Daniel, flying the black lion was important to him. Keith knew however that his time in Black was coming to an end, he could feel it. If Daniel wasn't ready to take over someone needed to be.

"Sim on," Keith said. The hologram of Lotor appeared and ran towards him. Keith punched him in the face.

/

"Now this is interesting." Maahox spoke, clearly delighted. "Queen Allura is to be wed. Hmmm I wonder. Yes it should work, taking the queen out will be my key to defeating Voltron. Oh what a marvelous idea." And he laughed.


	5. Chapter 5

In the Life

Chapter 5

Prince Hamilton was the first to arrive four days after the official announcement was made. He was tall (pushing 6'2"), blonde and had a striking pair of hazel eyes that had flecks of gold.

He was prince of the Naga planet and was about to take the throne on his twenty-ninth birthday that was coming up shortly. His only problem was that he needed a queen to rule by his side, and a queen was what he came to get. He needed one who had a large dowry, Queen Allura had a whole planet that he could gain. A whole new planet he could rule.

He smiled as he thought of all the power he could have, not just one planet but two. His ship was seconds away from landing, he set his eyes on the Castle of Lions and the prize coming out of it that would soon be his.

/

That morning breakfast had been pleasant. Allura sat down at the dining room table with the people she considered her family, not only that but sitting across from her, was her love. The air had been light as they talked and made jokes and the world almost felt right again, until Coran came in and made the announcement that Prince Hamilton was to arrive with in the hour.

She sighed not ready for the what the day was about to turn in to and was about to eat another bite of her breakfast, but Coran then told her that she had best come get ready, and that queen must look presentable to her suitors. She shared a long glance with Keith and left to go get ready.

/

Keith felt his blood boil, he didn't know how he was going to be able to watch Allura being courted by someone else. Once again he was a torn man.

The commander in him wanted to push aside his feelings so Allura could perform her duty to her people, and he could perform his as commander of the Voltron Force. He knew that this was going to happen eventually. Heck, he had even told her that it was best if she married someone else. He just never expected that she would actually marry someone else!

The other side of him wanted to punch each of her suitors in their heads to make sure they knew that she was his. He wanted to take her in his arms and kiss her senseless. To make sure she knew that he loved her, and in time they could be married.

He growled under his breath, time. They were almost out of time. Lance looked at him and Keith stared back.

"Are you really going to be able to handle watching this?" Lance asked, "Watching other men court Allura."

"I don't know." Keith replied honestly, "But what choice do I have."

Keith stood up and went to the control room, he needed to distract himself. He thought checking the planet's security system would work for now.

/

Larmina was sitting on her bed, trying to avoid a lecture from her aunt. She was sick of everything at the moment, and with the suitors all over the place she couldn't go anywhere without bumping into one of the snobs.

It was three days since the first royal snob showed up and now all seven were here. All of them were snobs and they couldn't think of anything but becoming the King of Arus. If she had to have one of them as an uncle she wouldn't be able to decide who to choose. Well maybe one, but that snob wouldn't accept Allura, he was in love with another girl.

There was Knight Jerome of the planet Lanter, he apparently had traveled the farthest. She didn't know what to think of him, he was kind and noble but wouldn't talk to anybody but her aunt or a Royal advisor, if it was anyone else he talked to he would act all stiff.

He wasn't good looking either, he was actually shorter than Allura, covered in freckles and had long untamed brown hair and plain brown eyes. She didn't think she could live with him as an uncle.

Then there was Knight Eugene of the planet Colver, he was okay she guessed. There weren't really any noticeable qualities that made him different from the rest. He was tall (six foot even), tan, black hair, brown eyes.

He was boring to talk to, he liked a lot of scientific stuff and would probably end up bugging Pidge (whenever Pidge got back) when he wasn't striving to get Allura's attention.

Lord Wayne of the planet Zong was pretty cute, she had to admit. But that is where the line ended. He was a down right snob that expected everything to be handed to him on a golden platter. He brought the most servants out of the suitors just to make sure he wouldn't miss the spoils of his home.

They way he treated pretty much everyone wouldn't for the world make her accept him as an uncle. As far as she cared he could take his 6'3" body -with the perfect amount of golden hair and blue green eyes that light up when he smiled those brilliant white teeth- home back where he came from.

Lords William and Errol of the planet Karvong were distance cousins. That's what they said at least, however they could've been brothers. They were both gifted with red hair and freckles (lots of them). The only differences were that William had blue eyes, and Errol's were grey.

Not that she cared, they were both stuck up and couldn't stop talking about how it was their duty to marry for their planet. Ugh, like throw up alert. She had heard too much of the _sacrifice_ and _for my planet_ speech and she had enough of it.

Prince Kenneth of the planet Rougle, was probably her favorite. It was a shame that his name was so close to Keith's (who didn't like that fact at all). But Kenneth was the only polite one that treated her like an equal, and he didn't solely focus on Allura. He was very interested in Voltron and the rest of Arus's defense system.

Rumor had it that he never wanted to be one of Allura's suitors. Apparently he has a girl back home that he is madly in love with but his father refuses to give his approval of her. His father apparently made him come to Arus and try to capture Allura's heart if he ever wanted to take the throne.

He was nice though, handsome even. The tan, over six foot prince had slick black hair and glassy grey eyes that would sparkle. To bad he was in love with someone else, he was the only one that she could approve of to be her uncle.

Prince Hamilton of planet Naga was like a really well mannered snob that looked good. Tall, blond and Hazel eyes with golden flecks, he was a sight for sure. But he would never take his eyes off of Allura, it was almost creepy they way he stared at her. But the Royal advisors seemed to love him, he had charmed them all.

Her aunt likes him least of all, she didn't have to say it, and there was no way Larmina wanted him as an uncle.

Larmina sighed, she did not have good uncle options. She started to go find Daniel and see if he wanted to go race around the Hunkyard or something, she couldn't stand think about the snobs any longer.

As she left she couldn't help but wish that everything would work out and Keith could be her uncle, he'd be the best choice.

/

Seven suitors all fighting for Allura's attention was to much for her. Keira thought as she sipped her tea, she was down at the castle visiting Lance, she often was. During her time at the castle she had become good friends with Allura. It was hard to see the strain the suitors put on her, the poor girl was busy enough running a kingdom.

She wasn't the only one who had seen the strain that had been placed on Allura, within three days the royal advisors made a schedule for her and the suitors. It was a strict schedule but allowed some free time for the majesty. They're were times where she would hold the people's quorum with one of the suitors and have a meeting with another. They were also times that she would have those by herself. And dates, there were scheduled dates with each of them.

Sixty days. That's all that Allura had left before she'd have to pick a suitor. Keira felt deeply worried for Allura, Lance had confided in her Keith's and Allura's feelings for each other. The fact that she could marry who she loved and Allura couldn't well it wasn't fair. A queen should have the same rights of her people yet Allura was being denied hers.

Lance chose that moment to interrupt her thoughts.

"Keira, you okay?"

She looked up at Lance surprise written all across her face, she was so deep in thought she forgot he was there.

"Yeah, why?"

Lance picked up her hand and kissed it. "You have that look on your have when you're troubled."

Oh how he knew her, she thought. She loved this man and couldn't wait to marry him. Life with him was sure to be an adventure, especially if he could read her so easily.

"I was just thinking of Allura's new schedule. Doesn't she get any time to go on dates of her choosing? Instead of just the seven suitors?"

Lance shook his head, "She could've. The only thing is she would've had to tell the royal advisors who."

"So she hasn't told them about Keith yet?" Keira was shocked, she thought that's what Allura had planed on doing so she could get some alone time with Keith.

"No. Allura wanted to but Keith told her not to."

"What?" Keira couldn't believe this, Keith was crazy, he was losing his chance of being with Allura.

"Now don't go getting all upset on me." Lance said, he could obviously see where she was going with the topic. "Keith didn't feel comfortable with Hamilton watching Allura so closely. Keith has that sixth sense that the rest of us apparently lack and he says he feels strongly that if Hamilton finds out about them, it would cause Allura some kind of harm or grief."

"So you mean Keith is being an over-protective, over-cautious commander which is why he is putting his relationship with Allura at risk?"

"That's exactly it, we all know how Keith gets about her safety."

"I swear Lance if you ever get that over-bearing with me, I'll ..." She made the mistake to look at him, he was sitting across from her with the utmost serious expression on his face.

"You'll do what?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

She couldn't help but laugh at his seriousness and some more after he had kissed her.

/

The last suitor to arrive was Prince Kenneth. It was day sixty-three that he came. In honor of the all the suitors being there, there was a ball held that night. Allura had danced with each of them, but to her disappointment she had not danced with Keith.

She understood why he wanted to continue to keep their relationship a secret, Hamilton gave her the creeps. She always made sure she had her voltcom on her anytime he was near. She got the feeling Hamilton viewed her more as a possession more than a person, he was power hungry and the royal advisors failed to realize it.

She understood Keith's reasoning for keeping their relationship secret and professional but she hated how little she saw him now. She hated keeping her reactions in check when she saw him or when he would speak to her. She had barley been able to talk to him and that was what she really hated.

He was her solace, her safe place, her comforter, her secret keeper. They had no secrets between them, she would tell him anything and he would tell her anything. Her burdens were his and his were hers. They were a team and she needed him bad.

Her nightmares were becoming ever more persistent, the twentieth anniversary of that horrid day was almost a month away. She had always gone to her father's crypt to find the solace she needed, but now his spirit was gone. He had told her now that she was queen it was time to make her kingdom her own. That had been over ten months ago, it was the last time she saw her father's spirit.

She looked up at the stairs over her head and closed her eyes. Remembering when she was the blue lion pilot, she could fly in the stars, no restrictions, no worries. Now her time in the blue lion was over, she opened her eyes to look at the stars that she would never fly by again. At least not in her lion. Sadness filled her as she looked over Arus, a planet that used to be so free, it never felt more suffocated.

"Allura." A deep male voice spoke, one that she would recognize anywhere.

She turned around and saw Keith standing by the doors of the terrace, who knows how long he had been watching her.

"Keith."

Her green eyes met his blue ones. He made no move to speak, he was fixed on studying her.

"What is it Keith?"

"What's wrong Allura?"

He always knew when something was wrong.

"It's nothing, what news do you have for me?"

"It's not important." Keith said as he came up right besides her and wiped a tear from her face. "Allura what's wrong?"

"You already know." And he did, the next night after she told Keith about the suitors, she told him about everything, her nightmares, how she lost her parents, why she hated arrange marriages, and how she needed him.

He took her in his arms and held her for a long time. She soaked in his strength, but she could also tell he was having as much as a hard time as she was. After a long while she finally spoke.

"What did you come to tell me about, my love?"

He looked at her and sighed. "You remember about three weeks ago when you found out that none of us had seen our parents in who knows how long, so you wrote to each of them inviting them to spend a week in the castle to spend time with us?"

Allura's eyes lighted up. "They've responded?"

Keith nodded.

"Oh this is great news, when will they be able to come?" Allura had always wanted to meet the parents of the members of the Voltron force. Each person has always defended Arus with their heart and soul, and she would be forever grateful. She wanted to meet the people who raised them to thank them for raising such fine people. She especially wanted to meet Keith's mom and stepdad.

Keith cut in her thoughts, bringing back the element of seriousness to the conversation.

"All of our parents have talked to each other and want to come at the same time, it'd be a little more than a month from now when they came." He paused and looked at her to make sure she would know that they would be here for the twentieth anniversary of when she lost her parents. Allura sobered immediately fully understanding what he meant.

"Keith I'll be fine, I want to meet your parents. The people who raised you to be you. It would be a great honor to me, the timing would be rough, but you'll be here, I'll make it. Let me meet them please."

Her green eyes pleaded to his and she saw such a caring man in them, he cared so much, to a fault even. It warmed her heart to know that not only did he care for her so much, he cared for her people, for Arus.

"Allura, the suitors. It'll be too much stress on you to host our parents and them, we could reschedule so that they could come..."

Allura had cut him off and turned out of his arms. She did not want to face him as she spoke her next words.

"So that they can come when I'm engaged to someone else?" She finished for him, she couldn't look at him, she knew what she just said cut him like a knife, it cut her like one. "Keith I'm don't want to wait to meet them, I want to meet them while there is still a chance I can marry their son. I want to meet them with the hope that they could be my parents-in-law, not that they could've been.

She turned back around to look at him. "Please, while there is still hope."

"Okay." he nodded, and she fell back into his embrace.

/

Keith walked away from the terrace and from Allura a hour later. He needed to talk to Lance.

Allura was already losing hope in him, it had barley been over a week and she was losing hope in his promise. She had grown up with the idea that she must sacrifice anything for her people, now she was going to sacrifice their happiness, their relationship.

He couldn't wait for Daniel to get better anymore. He couldn't wait for Daniel to develop the leadership skills he needed to lead the force.

He had to find Lance, they needed to talk. If Daniel could be treated for the haggarium infection he and Lance could switch lions until Daniel learned the leadership skills he needed. Or they would send for new cadets, one who would be capable to pilot the black lion.

Every time Keith flew it and thought about Allura or the suitors he could feel Black's unhappiness with him. Black knew that his pilot was torn between him and the queen and Black was not satisfied with that. Black knew he needed a pilot that was all his and Keith was not. They both knew, Keith's time in Black was coming to an end.


	6. Chapter 6

Authors note

This chapter picks up about a week after from where chapter five left off. Once again I don't own Voltron or any of it's characters. However I have made some of my own characters for this story. Anyways I hope you all enjoy it, feel free to comment, I'd love to know what you all think of it so far!

In the Life

Chapter 6

 _Wow._ Vince thought to himself, _I can't believe Allura invited our parents to come see us._ It had been over a year since Vince had last seen his parents, he never admitted it, but me really missed them.

He knew in their letters that his parents were happy for him and the service he was giving not just to Arus but to the universe. They always encouraged him when he was frustrated or home-sick. And he had been home-sick, he would've loved to make a trip to Earth to see his family, but whenever he planned to; something more important always got in the way.

As excited as Vince was about seeing his parents, he was (at the moment anyway) more excited that Pidge was coming back today. Vince hadn't been able to make any improvements with a cure for Daniel and Sven but he felt with Pidge back, it wouldn't be long be for they found something.

At least that's what he told himself because they had to find something, they were losing time, and hope.

/

Pidge shouldn't have been surprised that trouble had found those at the Castle of Lions while he was gone.

He stared at Keith, Lance and Hunk; who had explained the situation to him the moment his ship landed on Arus. He shared a look with his new wife Denise. She gave him that smile that said they should've known.

He sighed, they had planned to have the first few days to themselves when they had returned to Arus, that wasn't going to happen now. The situation with Sven and Daniel was very alarming, and Allura's suitors; well that was just plain bad timing.

He looked at Keith again and knew that he and Denise would have to wait awhile to spend a couple days alone on Arus. Pidge knew what it was like to be in love and almost lose his love. When he was dating Denise it had started off as a secret at first because Denise was to nervous to tell her parents. Then when they found out her father was making plans for her to marry some merchant...

It took a lot of convincing but finally Pidge was able to get her father's blessing of him. Pidge didn't want Keith to lose the chance of being with Allura, if finding a cure for Daniel was the way to bring them together; well he was going to find a cure.

He looked back at his wife and tucked her long auburn hair behind her ear and looked into her blue-grey eyes.

"Want to have lunch in the lab?" He asked her.

"Why not?" She replied, taking his hand.

Keith put a hand on his shoulder and stopped him before he left.

"Pidge I really am sorry about the mess you're getting thrown into, but I can't thank you enough for what you're doing."

Pidge looked at him and nodded and walked to the lab with Denise. It was time to find Vince and to find a cure for the haggarium infection, a permeant cure.

/

Denise walked in silence next to Pidge as they walked to the lab. Was she disappointed that her time with her newly wedded husband was being cut short? Yes. Did she understand? Yes.

She could feel Allura's pain all to clearly, being forced to wed while in love with another... well it's heart wrenching.

She had feelings for Pidge since the first she saw him, he had been flying green lion, saving the day as he is so good at doing. And then one night he bumped into her at a concert they were both at, he managed to knock her over which resulted in her spilling her drink all over herself. Pidge had felt horrible and she was speechless. He spent the rest on the night with her, and then saw her throughout the week. At first she had thought he just felt guilty, until a couple weeks later he had admitted he had feelings for her.

They secretly dated until her father had arranged a marriage with a merchant named Devon. When Pidge found out he went right away to confront her father, instead of her father welcoming one of the hero's of Arus into his family, he had told Pidge that he was never allowed to see his daughter again. He was mad at him that they had kept their relationship secret, and he had let his fury rain on them. It wasn't until a week before the arranged wedding where Pidge had been able to talk her father out of it, and give them his blessing in their courtship.

But for Allura there was no chance of the royal advisors changing their mind. Her only chance was that Daniel could be healed and take over the black lion, which meant that Pidge and Vince had to find a cure, and in less than seventy days.

She looked at her husband and was amazed, he had done so much for this planet and continued to do so. He had upgraded all the lions, invented the voltcoms, improved the castle's and planet's defenses so much. And now he continued to give his time and find the cure for haggarium.

He had had more free time when Vince took over the Green Lion, which had really helped with their courtship, and had given him the chance to work more with his music. But now it looked like for the next fifty-four days to be exact, her husband would be very busy finding a cure.

She sighed out loud and Pidge turned to her and read her thoughts.

"I know." He said and pulled her in his arms and kissed her lips ever so softly. She snuggled in closer to him and looked into his hazel eyes.

"At least there's a ball tonight." She spoke, he smiled and kissed her again.

/

Everyone felt relived that Pidge was back, but no one more so than Keith.

He circled the control room thinking, there was a lot going on. Keith had been walking on needles for over the past week, Maahox had been attacking on a weekly basis for months. So why had he stopped? His last attack had been two weeks and a day ago, he had then gone completely silent. Keith didn't like it, it meant that Maahox was planning something much worse.

He had the feeling that whatever Maahox was up to would involve haggarium and a lot of it. Daniel and Sven conditions after the last robeast attack they were... well scary, he admitted to himself. He didn't like not knowing why their conditions were worsening, after they had been stable for so long, things didn't look good.

Hopefully if fate allowed it (not that he believed in fate all too much, but Allura did), Pidge and Vince together could find a cure.

He had talked to Lance and told him how he's been feeling like his time in Black is coming to an end. Not just with present circumstances, he wasn't just trying to find a replacement to be with Allura, when he took the Black Lion back from Daniel, Keith could feel the need for a replacement. He had thought it would be Daniel, but Black might not make it that long, and he would prefer it to be before the seventy days are up.

Lance agreed with him, if Daniel was cured before the seventy days were up, Daniel would fly Red while Lance would take over Black. Only until Daniel could learn the leadership skills he needed to fly Black.

Lance also agreed that it was best to send for some new cadets. Just in case.

Keith stoped walking and rubbed his eyes, he was going to get a headache for over thinking this. He knew he needed to send for some new cadets but he needed to talk with the rest of the team about it. Daniel would be deeply hurt, and he didn't want to overwhelm Allura more than she already was by giving her more cadets to teach. He didn't know how the rest of the team would react, he knew they needed to have a meeting about it and send for some cadets soon. They couldn't afford to waste time, yet he couldn't bring himself to tell Daniel.

"Keith could you do me a favor?" Allura asked urgently as she ran in the control room wearing her pink clothes. Once the doors were closed she stopped and caught her breath.

Keith crossed over to her and put an arm on her shoulder to help steady her, she looked panic and he didn't like that something was scaring her.

"Sure thing, what is it?"

Allura looked up at him, "Ask questions later not now, I need you to pretend like you have urgent news you must tell me -probably about security or something- and that it hast to be top secret."

He looked at her confused, this was a weird request. Then he looked into her pleading green eyes and knew that there must be a good reason for it.

"Start now." Allura urged.

So they walked to the middle of the control room, where he pulled many screens up and started going over the security of the planet with her.

"Now we haven't detected any readings from Doom that would make us think that Maahox is up to something which means that..."

He was abruptly cut off as Hamilton walked into the room and started speaking.

"Ah, there you are my queen! I was wondering where you were. I had heard that your meeting with the royal advisor Flynn was canceled because he had some urgent family business he had to take care of. So I thought if you're not busy which you aren't (he gave a pointed look at Keith), that you would love to spend the time with me."

Keith's blood started to boil, Hamilton had switched his gaze from him back to Allura and was now looking at her like a piece of meat. But before he could do or say anything, Allura started to speak.

"That would be pleasant but unfortunately Commander Kogane has brought to my attention some security issues about my planet that needs to be addressed and can not be delayed any longer than they have been."

Hamilton was not taking no for an answer.

"And they shall not be delayed any longer. I will simply spend the time here with you and together we shall make sure that your planet stays secure. After all we must make the safety of Arus and all it's citizens our top priority."

He spoke like it was his noble duty keeping Arus safe, it drove Keith mad. To make it worse Hamilton then proceeded to try and take Allura's hand. She moved away gracefully and was about to speak, but Keith felt the need to cut in. He needed to get Hamilton away from her as soon as possible.

"Actually you can't stay."

"What do you mean I can't stay?" Hamilton asked taken aback.

"You can't stay. What me and the queen were going over is very confidential, top-secret even. No outsiders are allowed to know, it would risk security that way. Even one so noble as yourself could be considered a risk, if you're not Arusian royalty or Commander of the Voltron Force; what will be said in this meeting is not meant for your ears. I'm sure you understand, running a planet of your own. You have my apologies but you have to leave."

Keith crossed his arms for effects, Hamilton stood there staring at him with hatred. He couldn't argue with him, but he didn't turn to go.

"I'm sure the queen will be honored to dance with you at the ball tonight, but for the moment she needs to meet with me and discuss the planet's security."

Hamilton bowed to Allura and kissed her hand.

"Until tonight my queen."

"Until tonight." Allura responded.

With that he turned and left, and for the next couple of minuets just to be safe Keith talked about Maahox and his unusual silence. Until he was sure Hamilton was really gone.

"Well you have a solid two hours until our supposed meeting is over." He looked at her and opened his arms. She went to him and he held her for a minuet or so, he then let her go but kept hold of her hands.

"Thank you." She looked up at him with admiration in her dazzling green eyes, "I didn't mean to throw you on the spot like that but Hamilton has been trying to corner me all day. I knew that you were probably in the control room and could be able to distance him from me."

"Anytime." He said and kissed her. He knew that Hamilton was always trying to find ways around the schedule to get to Allura, and he often succeeded too.

"I'm not ready for the ball tonight." She admitted. He understood, he wasn't ready for it either. The last one was hard enough seeing her in the arms of everyone else but him...

"Then let's enjoy these next two hours and not think about it until you have to get ready."

"I can do that."

"Good."

He kissed her again, more passionate this time.

/

Allura sighed to herself, it was time to get ready for another ball. Not that she minded getting ready for balls, she just hated the reason of why they were having one.

The thirteen royal advisors had declared that every week there was to be a ball, and at the last ball is when either she would choose who she would marry or the royal thirteen would choose for her.

Allura dismissed her maid Aubrey who was sent to help her get ready, she just wanted time alone at the moment. Those two hours and the 'meeting' she had with Keith had been perfect. Keith notified Lance to keep everyone out of the control room so they could have their privacy.

Allura looked at her gowns and didn't know which one to wear. She wanted to wear something Keith would like. Eventually she chose her light yellow gown that had a semi-full skirt and had long lacey sleeves.

Although Keith said he wouldn't dance with her during the ball (she understood why, they didn't want to give Hamilton any clues of their feelings for each other), he had promised to meet her on the terrace afterwards and dance with her. She couldn't wait for their dance, it was the only way she was going to get through the many dances with Hamilton and the others.

/

Larmina hated balls, well she hated getting ready for them anyway. However tonight was an exception.

Daniel was going to this ball, he usually skipped out on them but he mentioned that he felt like going to this one. She couldn't lie to herself anymore, she had feelings for him. But she could sure as heck would make sure that she wasn't the first one to admit that they have feelings, she was going to make Daniel confess first. That is if he had any feelings for her, she was unsure. They were really good friends and sometimes when she looked at him she almost thought she saw something more in his eyes.

If she was right and he did have feelings for her, well he was going to confess tonight. She had her hair in a bun wrapped around by a braid, and she was wearing a very stunning sleek black dress. As she was royalty she wasn't allowed to go sleeveless so she chose this dress because it had sleeves that barely capped her shoulders. She wore a simple diamond necklace that her dad had given her years ago, along with the diamond earrings her mom had given her. She topped off her outfit with her black heels and her crown.

She wanted tonight to be perfect.

/

"My Lord why have you not kept up with your usual activities?" He asked over his communicator. "Surely they suspect that you are up to something, you do not want them sticking their noses whey they do not belong."

"Because oh impatient one," his master replied, "I've been working on something that takes time, but do not worry I am sending something soon to make sure it looks like I'm up to nothing more than the usual. Now what have you discovered about the queen, she is the key to all of this."

"Not much, my Lord. Except there is some chemistry between her and the commander. I hacked into their security cameras and saw them together in the control room."

His master laughed. "Splendid! This will be better than I imagined."

He couldn't really care about his master's plans, just as long as he got the queen and control of the planet.


	7. Chapter 7

Authors note

This chapter was interesting to write, there's more action and conflicting emotions, it's starting to build up. I hope you all enjoy it, comment and let me know if you like it. It would make my day. Once again I do not own Voltron or any of its characters, I have however made some of my own characters for this story.

In the Life

Chapter 7

"I fully understand and promise to do my best." Sven said in his heavy Viking accent.

"You don't know how much I appreciate this Sven." Keith said. Shaking his hand and meeting his gaze.

They were in Sven's room in the castle, it was plainly decorated,with blue walls and a couple pictures of Sven's small family.

"I have an idea. I can only imagine if roles were reversed and I had to stand by and watch Romelle dance with someone else. It would be very upsetting. Like I said, I will do what I can."

Keith nodded and walked away, he probably had to change for the ball. At least that's what Sven assumed.

Sven paced around his room and thought to himself, Keith had asked him a simple favor. He just wanted Sven to cut in any dance that one of Allura's suitors got to close to her. He knew it pained Keith that he couldn't do it himself but he understood why Keith didn't want the suitors to know about their relationship, at least not yet.

Sven couldn't help but feel bad for his friend. He could feel the haggarium surge inside him when he thought about someone else dancing with Romelle.

He sighed, oh how he missed her! The last time he had seen his wife they were on a ship returning from a diplomatic trip with their son Eric. They were attacked, Romelle had been able to escape on an escape pod and had made it back to their planet Pollux.

He wished Eric could've made it back with her, but as fate had it, he had been the one holding his son. They had made it to an escape pod, but it had been hit and went haywire. They were lucky to crash-land safely on his home planet.

At least that's what he thought until he realized there was no way to leave. It was out of desperation that he made that deal with Lotor. Somehow his friends have forgiven him, but he still hadn't forgiven himself.

He had been told that Nanny had watched his son until Romelle was able to come for him. He longed to see his wife and son again, but with him involved, fate had always been cruel.

Planet Pollux was having civil unrest and his beloved Romelle had to stay there for the time being, and he had to stay here on Arus, until he was cured. He almost laughed to himself, he never really believed after Lotor and Maahox betrayed him that anyone would find a cure.

/

He looked over the tapes once more, in total disgust of the situation. How could Allura ever love a guy like _him_? He had absolutely nothing to his name.

Whereas _he_ was nobility, _he_ was going to make something out of his life and have total control. If Allura wouldn't fall for him he was going to have to knock the commander out of the equation.

For good.

He stood up and straightened his bow-tie. No one was going to get between him and the queen. He'd see to it, personally.

/

 _Breath_ , She thought to herself. _Breath. It's only three hours, just three hours and then I can be in Keith's arms._

Allura opened her eyes as the doors opened. Her name was announced, and she placed a gracious smile on her lips and slowly walked down the stairs. Larmina was announced as Allura finished her decent, and then the ball had officially begun.

It was protocol that she danced with the suitor of highest rank first, and then she was to dance with the second suitor of the next highest rank and so on. Hamilton walked to her and they both bowed to each other, he took her hand and then the music begun.

/

Larmina couldn't have been more frustrated than she was now. She had finally found Daniel after ten minuets of searching for him, and now that she had found him he had only been talking to her like he usually did!

She was not going to accept the fact that he didn't have feelings for her, he had to. Now that she accepted the fact she had feelings for him she didn't think she'd survive if he didn't have the same feelings that she did.

The current song finally ended, she knew she had only a matter of seconds before the next one began. She tried to hint at him again to ask her to dance.

"I don't know about you but I'm getting stiff just standing here, don't you think we should do something, I don't know exciting?"

Daniel looked at her and thought for a moment.

"Well I am getting thirsty, we can head over to the dessert line and grab some punch."

Ugh, he was hopeless. Well it wasn't a dance that she got but at least he was kind enough to get her some refreshments with their drinks.

/

Sven didn't need any signal from Keith to know it was time to cut in. Hamilton was back for another dance, five dances was the limit Sven gave him. He would not let him get another one with Allura, his poor cousin-in-law was being suffocated by this man.

"Excuse me, but I would like to cut in." Sven said as he stared down at Hamilton.

Hamilton stared at him, sizing him up, not even hiding the fact. Apparently he judged Sven unworthy because he only stepped closer to Allura.

"And just who are you?" He sneered.

"I am Sven the Royal Consort of Princess Romelle of Planet Pollux, and I would like to dance with my cousin."

Without waiting for Hamilton's answer, Sven stepped in and stole Allura away from the snob. The relief was clearly written across Allura's face.

"Thanks Sven." Allura said becoming more relaxed as they put more space between them and Hamilton.

"It is nothing. Dancing with you almost makes me feel like I will be able to dance with Romelle again."

"You will Sven, just wait and see. Fate will provide a cure in time."

He looked at his cousin, her greens eyes willing him to be cured. He didn't know how she still believed that fate could be kind, her life was hard enough she shouldn't believe that fate would take pity on anyone.

"I don't know how you can believe that fate can be so kind..." He was about to say how she should stop getting her hopes so high and accept reality but he doubled over in pain. His haggarium infection was surging all over his body. He didn't know how long he was going to be able to stay conscious or in-control.

/

Daniel knew that the ball was coming to an end soon, he had been trying to work up his nerve to ask Larmina to dance all night. It's just that she was, well stunning. He had to admit it to himself.

He had always like her, but he always known that she was out of his reach. She had however been throwing him hints for awhile though, so he thought that he would push his luck and find the courage to ask her to dance tonight.

He took a deep breath and promised himself that when the next song started he would ask Larmina to dance. He took another deep breath and suddenly lost all track of where and who he was. There was so much pain, he was so angry. He powered on his Voltcom and charged at the girl next to him, only to be blocked and hit in the head with a stick. Unconsciousness found him fast.

/

Keith stared in horror as Sven collapsed in pain, while Daniel tried to attack Larmina. That could only mean one thing, they were under attack.

Keith muttered under his breath, of course they'd be attacked durning a ball that was the worst imaginable time. Keith didn't hesitate to try to take control of the situation.

"Allura get the people to safety," he barked. "Hunk help me get Sven and Daniel to med-bay. Pidge, you're on castle defenses in the control room. Lance, Vince, Larmina get to the lions, Hunk and I will join you shortly."

The people were confused as to why the Voltron force were suddenly so tense and why Sven and Daniel were acting they way they were. That is until the castle started shaking, the people broke into chaos after that, Keith hoped that Allura would be able to calm down her people. He picked up Sven and Hunk carried Daniel, both of them running to med-bay. They needed to get to their lions as soon as possible, this castle was supposed to with-stand a nine point nine earthquake. The fact that it was shaking did not bode well with him.

After making sure Daniel and Sven were both secure in med-bay he and Hunk ran to their lions, they could hear their team struggling on the voltcoms. This was no ordinary haggarium robeast.

Keith jumped on to the bar that lead him down to Black lion, half way down his lion shoot he heard a beeping noise and looked up in horror as he saw a bomb falling towards him.

In an instant he let go of his bar and plummeted to the ground. He couldn't survive a bomb but he might be able to survive the fall, he hit the button on his voltcom that turned his suit into armor and smashed into the floor.

Everything had gone black.

/

Allura was anxious to hear how the team had been handling things, as soon as she had gotten her people under control and in the safe room she had ran to get her voltcom.

She heard Hunk check in with the team, five minuets had gone by since then and Keith had yet to make it to Black lion. Hunk said that they had both made it to the lion shoot at the same time.

"Come on Keith!" Lance yelled over the voltcom, "Were getting our butts beat over here, we need Voltron!"

There was no response, the only noise Allura heard was the lions being thrown and their impact with the ground. Something was very wrong, where was Keith?

"I'm going to go check on Keith." She said over the voltcom, she didn't care that Coran, the other royal advisors, and the suitors wouldn't like it. Something was very wrong and she was going to find out why.

She stopped in her tracks once she had reached the control room. Pidge was slumped over in his chair, blood coming down from his head, not only that but the lion shoot to black lion had been blown to bits. She reported what she saw over her voltcom and waited for Coran to reach the control room before she took the emergency way down the Black lion shoot. She couldn't leave Pidge alone, not in his condition.

When she made it to the bottom of the shoot she was horrified at the sight that awaited her. Keith laid on the floor unconscious, lying in a pool of blood. She ran to him, speaking his name and gently prodding him, there was no response.

"Keith, please wake up." She begged, tears falling down her face.

"What's going on over there?" Lance asked over the intercom.

Allura repeated the situation to them but the four lions were too busy to respond. She knew she couldn't leave Keith here, but the Force needed Black lion now. She checked his vital levels and had his voltcom give him medicine that would hopefully help. She ever carefully tried to carry him over to Black, but it ended up more like dragging him.

She was finally able to pull him into Black, she checked his vitals one more time to make sure he was doing fine, well as fine as he was when she found him. Satisfied that his vitals hadn't gone down she launched Black lion, her planet needed her now.

This robeast was taller than the castle, Maahox had really out done himself.

"Alright team, I know I'm not Keith but right now I'm the only one who can fly Black. Let's not waste time and form Voltron so we can rid Arus of this evil."

"The haggarium levels on this robeast is insane," Vince stated. "It's almost like it's all haggarium that has chosen a shape of a robeast to fight as."

"In that case you might want to form green center Allura." Lance spoke. "And fast."

Allura nodded, they formed Voltron and she had green centered. Vince was their best shot against this haggarium robeast.

 _Hours later._

She, Coran with the other royal advisors, and all of her seven suitors stood outside med-bay having a heated argument.

"I can't believe you Allura!" Remily went off at her, "that you would..."

"That I would what?" Allura asked. "Put my life at risk to save Arus, to save my people. How selfish of me."

"It's not that," Hamilton began to speak. "Do you know what you mean to your people, to me? You're too valuable to lose, did you even think what your people would go through if you had died?"

"I don't care what would've happened to me, the people would live, Larmina is my heir. I do however care what happens to my people, and the Voltron Force. They could've all died if I hadn't stepped in!"

Lord Wayne spoke up, "Clearly no one is happy with the situation that happen, but I believe that we can be rest assured that the queen is not going to do something like that again, so could we drop the matter?"

"Only if Allura promises that she gives up flying the lions for good." Remily spoke.

Allura felt very outnumbered and frustrated. "I will fly the lions whenever there is a need for me to do so. I will not sit by and watch my people suffer as I did during the war with Zarkon. It does not matter what happens to me as long as the people are safe."

"Then I will fly the lion instead of you." Hamilton spoke up, trying to be all noble, she shot that idea down right away. The idea of him flying a lion, gave her chills down her spine.

"You can't, you've never been trained, I have. There is no time to train you or anyone for the immediate future. Keith isn't going to be able to fly Black for awhile and neither is Daniel, I've been trained for this, and I am quite capable of doing it."

Coran cut in. "Allura I don't doubt your intentions or the goodness of your heart, but you have so many responsibilities as queen. You simply do not have the time to pilot the Black lion."

"I know Coran, and depending on how long it takes Commander Keith to heal, we may have to request new cadets from the Space Academy, so they could take over Black."

There. The words were out of her mouth and she couldn't believe she said it, Daniel would feel so betrayed. She didn't know how Keith or the rest of the team would react to this news as well, but as for the moment it seemed to calm everyone down.

"If you all would excuse me, I need to have a talk with the Voltron Force." With that being said Allura went into med-bay and gathered the Force, Keith had regained consciousness so they all met around his bedside.

"Well we have a problem on our hands," Pidge said from his wheel chair, he was unable to walk with the concussion he had. He had suffered a serious concussion from the attacker, he just had no idea who attacked him.

"You could say that again." Hunk said.

"We've got a lot to talk about," Keith spoke. His left arm, collar bone and a couple of his ribs were broken. Although they had advance medicine to heal him, it would take weeks till he was fully healed. They would surely face another attack before then.

"You stole the words right out of my mouth," Lance replied.

Keith's eyebrows furrowed, he had entered his no nonsense mode and looked straight at Allura. "One of your suitors is working for Maahox." He ignored all of their outburst of this fact. "Last night was planned perfectly, attack us at a moment when no one is near a lion, then to take out the head before they can reach his lion. Think about it, Maahox knows we can form Voltron with only four lions, but we can't form Voltron without the Black lion. So why not take out the Black lion pilot before he can get to his lion, with the robeast that he sent. He was trying to make sure that the lions -that Voltron- was demolished. He almost succeeded too."

"Maybe," Lance began, clearly upset with that idea. "Instead one of Allura's suitors saw you and her in the control room together and got jealous and decided to take some action against you Keith."

Keith nodded, "I've thought about that and even had Vince check our security system. It's been breached, so that is a likely theory Lance, but you can't deny that the timing was just too perfect."

"Maybe it's both," Hunk suggested. "I mean why would he help Maahox if he wasn't trying to get to Allura?"

Everyone in the room went quiet and looked at Hunk. The thought that someone would hurt Keith, or anyone to get to her, made Allura sick. She didn't want to believe it, but someone had attacked Pidge and Keith, and it had to be someone from inside the castle.

"Allura, before you went to the control room and found Pidge, can you remember if any of your suitors had disappeared from the safe room?" Keith asked her.

She closed her eyes and tried to remember. "I can remember seeing everyone except Prince Hamilton, Lord Wayne, and Lord Errol after I got everyone into the safe room."

Keith nodded. "Not that that keeps any suitors off the list, but we will all keep an eye on those three more than the others. Allura when you have your scheduled dates with them I don't want you to be alone, one of us needs to be there."

"Oh please," She was not going to have everyone go crazy over her protection today. "Like the Thirteen would allow that, you know what they would say if they heard this conversation. They would say we're all overreacting and need to calm down, and that my suitors have the highest reputations in the universe."

She crossed her arms. "I can take care of myself, if it makes you feel better I'll keep my voltcom on me. But that's as far as I'm willing to go, if you guys are right we can't risk letting them know that we are on to them."

"Why don't we all take some deep breaths?" Hunk spoke before Keith had the chance to speak, they could all tell he didn't like her answer, but no one could argue.

"I imagine they didn't like you flying Black either," Keith spoke in between deep breaths.

"No they didn't, they all threw a fit. Especially when they learned that until you get better it hast to be me who flys Black."

Keith had a deep frown on his face he didn't like the idea any better apparently. "There is something I've needed to tell the team for awhile now, and it's best if I do it now."

All their eyes were on him.

"I've told Lance about this but no one else, for awhile I've been feeling like my time in Black is coming to an end. I think it's time we request another cadet who can take my place when my time is over."

Before anyone had anytime to react Daniel exploded.

"What? Why! What about me! I can fly Black Keith, give me a chance this isn't fair!"

"Could you have flown Black last night?"

"No, but..."

"No buts, even if Pidge and Vince find a cure you have yet to displayed the leadership skills it takes to fly Black. You can't lead the Force if you continue to rely on yourself instead of the team. I'm sorry Daniel, I really am, we've waited as long as we could."

"No you're not!" Daniel spat. "You're not sorry, I don't see you trying to find a cure! You're just sitting in a chair saying do this and do that! How do you expect me to be a leader if you never give me a chance? You're just giving up on me so you don't have to watch Allura marry someone else, you speak of how a leader is selfless yet here your are being selfish!"

"Daniel!" Keith tried to call out to him, but he refused to listen, he ran out of the room to heavens knows where. Larmina ran after him, and everyone else was to shocked to speak.

Allura closed her eyes. Voltron survived on unity, that's when they had been their strongest, but right now the Force seemed to be crashing into chaos.

/

If Keith thought breathing was a difficult task, walking was nearly defeating him.

He knew he needed to get rest but he had made a promise, and he always kept his promises.

He found Allura on the terrace watching the second sunrise, he doubt she had slept yet. She heard him come and turned around.

"Keith what are you doing here? You need to be resting."

"I will be, but I came to keep a promise."

"What promise?"

"I told you after the ball I would come find you and dance with you all night."

"Oh Keith," Allura's eyes sparkled and his heart melted. "You need your rest, we can dance later.

"I'd rather dance now."

She smiled at him but went to him when he held out his good arm. It was more than a little awkward trying to dance with one arm, but it was worth it. He hummed a song his mom used to sing to his when he had nightmares, it would help him unwind. Right now he figured that they could both unwind.

"Keith, I feel horrible do you think Daniel is going to be okay?"

"I hope so, believe me I hope so."

He gentely placed his hand on her chin and pulled her gaze to meet his.

"You must know," he said searching her eyes, "that what Daniel said isn't true. I'm not giving up Black to marry you, ever since I took Black back from Daniel, I've felt like my time in it was coming to an end."

"It's okay I understand. We must never put ourselfs before our duty and I know that you'd never do that, you would only leave Black if it was the right time."

"I just feel bad for Daniel, I never wanted to hurt him."

"Fate isn't done with Daniel, he was not brought to us to be taken so quickly. Keith, Daniel still has a huge role to play in the Voltron Force. We just don't know what it is yet."


	8. Chapter 8

In the Life

Chapter 8

Daniel felt the haggarium surge through him, there was so much anger. So much betrayal. He made it to the Layer before he couldn't take it anymore, he collapsed to his knees and yelled.

How could Keith do this to him? It wasn't his fault he had the infection, but now he had to pay the price by giving up his dream? Just so Keith didn't have to give up his?

His haggarium surged even stronger at his hurt feelings, maybe he'd have to teach Keith a lesson...

He heard a girl calling out his name and running towards him. He was irritated, who dares interrupt him while he plans his revenge?

 _Larmina._

A voice said inside of him, _don't hurt her it's Larmina._ The thought of her cooled his blood.

/

"Daniel!" She yelled as she ran towards him. She saw him a couple steps inside the entrance of the Layer collapsed on his knees, tears streaming down his face. The sight made her heart hurt.

"Daniel." She spoke as she kneeled next to him, he didn't look at her so she continued to speak. "I'm so sorry, I can't believe they'd actually do something like that. You're part of the team, the next Black Lion pilot they can't replace you."

"Well apparently they are." Daniel said through gritted teeth.

"Don't hate Keith, it was probably Allura's idea." Daniel looked at her then. "I heard her taking with the royal thirteen about finding someone else to pilot Black. I didn't hear the whole conversation just that little bit. As far as I know she could've been trying to convince Keith to find a new pilot for Black for who knows how long."

"What do I do if I can't be the Black lion pilot?" Daniel looked in her eyes. "I never imagine that they would give up on me, Keith said were a team but as far as I know teams don't give up on their members. I guess I'm not part of the team."

"Hey." She punched him in the shoulder.

"Ouch. What was that for?" He asked rubbing his shoulder.

"I'm not giving up on you dummy," She stood up and offered him her hand. "Now come on lets go to the Lab and work with Vince on finding a cure."

"I need a chance to prove myself."

"You'll get one."

He took her hand and together they walked to the lab.

/

 _The next day._

 _/_

"I appreciate your Majesty how much you do for your planet."

"Why thank you." Allura responded to Knight Jerome as they went on their "date". He wanted to tour more of the planet so that is what they were doing. Even though she had her voltcom on her Keith still instead that a member of the force goes with her to keep her safe, he had won the battle with her and the Thirteen had assigned Lance the honor of being her bodyguard while they were out.

They were taking the cruiser on their tour, she hadn't wanted to take a lion, they still needed to fully recharge from last night, they had all taken a bad beating.

"It is simply mind blowing that a queen would risk her life for her planet, I know many queens and princesses who would never do what you did. This is why you are my perfect match. We'd both risk our lives for our planets because we want what's best for our people, I know for certain you are what's best for my people."

Lance had a certain fit of coughs right at that moment and Jerome turned and looked at him annoyed, he finally cast aside his annoyance and turned back to Allura.

"I will do anything to keep my people safe, and while I am flattered Jerome, I must consider what is best for my people. I do not know you or the other suitors well enough to decide who would be best."

"Well soon enough Allura, you'll come to realize it's me." Jerome said in full confidence puffing out his chest.

Lance had another fit of coughs that took longer to stop, but it sounded a lot like laughter.

"Sorry," He apologized when he finally finished, Jerome was staring at him with hatred in his eye. "I don't know what came over me." When Jerome turned back around Lance winked at Allura, she shook her head and turned her attention back to Jerome.

"Couldn't we have left him back at the castle?" He asked in a whispered tone. "I could've protected you if the need arises."

She sighed and wished that she had gotten more sleep. _This is going to be a long two hours._

/

"Who is it?" Keira asked weakly as she went to answer the knocking at the door, trying not to throw up as she moved, she had been throwing up all day. She couldn't remember anybody that was supposed to come over today, but her head was spinning so much it's possible she could've forgotten. Lance was supposed to come over later, but after what happened last night she was pretty sure that he wasn't going to make their dinner date tonight. It was for the better, she had woken up this morning throwing up, with a pounding headache and a fever so she had tried to go back to sleep. That is until the knocking woke her up, she supposed that she should change out of her pj's but at the moment she didn't care.

"It's me!" Replied her best friend Nora, as she opened the door. "Time to wake up sleepy head."

"How did you know I was sleeping?" She shouldn't have been too surprised Nora had a knack for knowing things.

"Simple, you never lock your door when you're awake."

Nora was one of those short, spunky, and spontaneous people that she never saw herself becoming best friends with. With black hair that's was usually died some random color (it was black with pink tips at the moment) and grey eyes, she was a handful.

"You're sick aren't you?"

"How did you know?" She said trying not to cough, she knew her friend was observant but she hadn't seen her since last night, and she wasn't sick then.

Grey eyes met her honey brown ones, "I've actually been sent to fetch you. The crab cakes you ate last night at the ball, well almost everyone who had one is getting sick, really sick. Turns out they've been poisoned. Anyone who knows someone who ate any is supposed to bring them to the castle so the team of doctors can make sure they're okay."

That explained everything, but the thought of walking up to the castle made her more dizzy than she already was. "Thanks Nora, I appreciate it but I don't know if I am well enough to make it up to..." Blackness overwhelmed her.

/

Lance felt sick to his stomach. A lot of the people who went to the ball last night were now in med-bay and at the local doctors sick. Allura's "date" with Jerome was cut short as she and him were called back to the castle on a code Blue. A code blue meant something was very wrong but it wasn't bad enough yet to be labeled code Red.

He felt even more sick when Keith told him over his Voltcom that it was the crab cakes that had food poisoning. He didn't care for them at all, but Keira did. They were one of her favorite foods, that was one of the only things she ate at the ball last night...

As soon as they had returned back to the castle Lance rushed to Red. Hunk had told him that Nora went to fetch Keira but hadn't returned. This was not good, Lance had a bad feeling in his gut. He landed at her house to see Nora trying to carry her, she had a hard time since Keira was taller than she was.

Lance ran to them and took an unconscious Keira in his arms. "What happened?" He asked, his heart sinking low as he held his fiancé.

"She opened the door and we talked for about thirty seconds then I said we needed to go up to the castle, she passed out at the thought. I couldn't leave her here alone to go get help, it looks like she's been really sick all day."

Lance nodded, Keira was burning up under his touch. He needed to get her to the castle now. He carried her to Red, placed her gently in the seat and strapped her in.

"Lance?" Keira spoke weakly.

"Yes love, what is it?" He said as he knelt at her side.

"I don't think I'm going to make our dinner date."

He brushed her auburn hair away from her face. "Don't worry about that love you'll make it."

She passed out before he finished, he looked at Nora and with her settled he took off towards the castle.

"Hold on baby, hold on."

/

Allura was not ready for this hit that fate blew her, it had been blowing her some really hard ones lately, but to add this on top of it, was cruel.

There were forty-nine people who had felt queasy and sick, sixty-four people who had eaten the crab cakes last night were throwing up and had to stay in bed, eleven of them had to be hospitalized until they were out of critical condition. And Keira was one of them.

Lance was furious when the doctors made him leave her room, nothing could calm him.

"Allura were meeting now right outside Keira's room, care to join us?" Keith asked from the end of the hallway.

"Aren't you supposed to be resting?"

"There are a lot of supposed to be's that aren't happening."

He was always so stubborn, it was only going to take him three to four weeks to fully heal _if_ he rested and took it easy.

Everyone was there except Vince and Daniel, she had a clue where Vince might be but not Daniel. Pidge was still in a wheelchair with his wife right behind him, Larmina was sitting in a chair fixing her nails, Hunk was sitting with his head between his legs and Keith and Lance were both pacing. No one spoke, it was too tense. She'd have to speak first.

"How could the cooks accidentally poison the crab cakes without noticing, they taste test every thing they serve yet they aren't sick."

Lance didn't stop pacing to look at her as he responded. "One of your suitors did it that's for sure, we just got to figure out how and who. And when we do I'm going to make them wish they never stepped foot on Arus."

Allura didn't want to think it was one of them, but besides the weekly robeast attack from Maahox everything had been calm until they arrived, all the signs were pointing that it had been one of them.

"It can't be denied." Keith started to speak. "I think Hunk is right that one of the suitors works for Maahox and wants to get rid of me to get to you, Allura. If I ate anything last night it would've been a crab cake, I don't know how but someone found out they're one of my favorite foods. The poison that we found in the left over crab cakes doesn't come from Arus, it comes from Doom, it's a tasteless slow working poison but it does the job. Then the bomb in the lion shoot was probably a plan B to finish me off."

She closed her eyes, so much was happening.

"You said the only people you didn't see reach the safe room last night were Prince Hamilton, Lord Wayne, and Lord Errol?" Keith asked her.

"Yes, but I can't be sure. There was a lot of commotion going on."

Pidge started to talk all eyes turned on him. "I had Vince do some research on all three of them, and what he found was interesting. Lord Wayne's planet Zong is neighbors with planet Doom, which makes him a suspect even though his planet has always been part of the Galaxy Alliance. Lord Errol and his cousin Lord William's planet Karvong have only been part of the Galaxy Alliance for the past five years, during the war with Zarkon they were strong allies with him. Prince Hamilton, well we can't find any dirt on him besides he gives all of us the creeps."

"So evidence is looking like its Lord Errol and his cousin." Lance said cracking his knuckles, "Maybe I need to go show them the door out of here."

"Hold it Lance." Keith spoke with years of authority in his voice. "Were not sure of anything at the moment, continue on Pidge."

"The only problem is we've been over the security footage from the second the chefs started preparing the food to after the last person grabbed a crab cake, not one of the suitors go anywhere near the crab cakes except for Lord Wayne and Knight Eugene who are both really sick as we speak. Which pretty much rules out it being any of the suitors unless Wayne or Eugene wants us to think he's innocent. But the chance is still there that one of them could've given the poison to a servant of their's who either did the job themselves or gave it to someone else to do the dirty work."

"It's all turning into one big giant puzzle, we still have to consider how one of them got the poison from Doom to begin with." Hunk spoke up, then put his head back down between his legs, he had eaten some crab cakes.

"We will keep looking into it." Keith said, "In the mean time, Allura either you or I are going to have to face the Thirteen and insist that until further notice the suitors need to go back to their home planet. We could be putting your's and everyone else's safety at risk with them here."

"Keith, they will never send them home, not until I have chosen someone. Coran might believe us but the rest of them won't, especially Quinn-Lynn and Remily. And if we tell them there is the chance that the suitors will know that we're on to one of them. Who knows how they could react to that."

Keith stared at her hard she could tell that he did not like his options.

"Fine, but carry your Voltcom with you all the time. Never take it off, that goes for everyone. We will charge them in our rooms at night when we sleep."

Everyone nodded, Larmina stood up and faked yawned. "I just want to find this guy already so I can kick butt!"

She was about to leave but Keith stopped her.

"Wait, there is one more thing we need to discus."

All eyes were on him. "I put in a request to Galaxy Alliance last night for some new cadets. They replied an hour ago with bad news. Ever since Wade's escape there has been major unrest in the Alliance, apparently Wade wasn't the only rotten one. Until they can get everything under control, they can only spare one person. His name is Lieutenant James Rahen. He would only be temporary, he won't be able to arrive for a week and he could only stay for three weeks. I should be healed by then so that shouldn't be a problem. We can focus on finding a new cadet to fill my shoes if Daniel is unable to at a later time."

Well that was sorta good news, Allura thought to herself, but the Thirteen were going to have a fit when they learned that she would be piloting Black for at least a week.

The meeting adjourned, and she caught Larmina on the way out.

"Larmina?"

"Yes Allura?" Larmina asked stopping in her tracks.

"I need your help, we must visit everyone who is sick to make sure they are doing alright."

Larmina sagged her shoulders, disappointment written across her face. "Why do I have to do that, why can't you?"

Allura sighed she did not feel like arguing with her niece today. "Because they're your people too, and as their princess it is your responsibility to make sure they are healthy and safe. I have a meeting I have to go to in fifteen minutes and I can not check up on all the people during that time."

"Fine." Larmina said and went to go do her aunt's wishes.

/

When it came to raising Allura to the queen she is now, Coran often thought he and Nanny did a fine job.

Coran paced around his office, he had tried to raise her how King Alfor and his wife would've. He always thought that they would've been pleased but he couldn't help but feel that he disappointed them. Allura refused to be married and provide a heir. King Alfor always wanted her to be happily married one day, that is why he agreed with the other twelve.

Now he couldn't help but feel like he had endangered Allura, Keith had spoken with him only five minutes ago. He couldn't believe that one of the suitors that they carefully hand picked was a traitor. He would try to talk to the other twelve but he feared it would be impossible to change their minds and send home the suitors.

Now more than ever he felt like he let down his King.

/

Keira lay in her hospital bed in the med-bay absolutely exhausted. As far as she knew she had been poisoned and nearly died, Nora and Lance saved her life. She shivered, dying. That's a scary thought.

There was a knock at her door but before she could answer it, it had already opened. Lance walked through the door carrying two trays full of food.

"What are you doing? She asked him, confused, the nurse had said that she would bring dinner in later.

"Keeping our dinner date, as I recall someone was worried about missing it." He set the trays down on the table beside her bed and pulled up a chair. "I for one was not going to miss a dinner date with this beautiful lady."

He gently kissed her check, and she lost it. How could he still call her beautiful, she was a sick mess!

"I love you." She said through her tears.

"And I love you." Lance replied as he wiped her tears away.

/

"You idiot!" His master yelled at him over his communicator. "Do you realize what you've done? You've alerted the Force that one of you is a traitor! They're going to be on guard now, you've just made things much more complex for me than they needed to be."

"Master I am sorry but I have to get rid of the commander, he is in my way of getting the queen."

"No you don't have to get rid of him, _I_ will get rid of him in my own time. All you need to do is act the part of a suitor who is trying to win the queen's hand, let me handle the rest!"

"Yes master."


	9. Chapter 9

Authors note

This chapter takes place a week from where the last one left off. I hope you all enjoy! Feel free to comment and let me know how you like it.

In the Life

Chapter 9

 _Dearest Larmina,_

 _Words can not express how much I love you. Besides meeting your father you were the best thing that has ever happened in my life. Ever day I am blessed with the opportunity to be your mother. Please never doubt the love I have for you. I realize that you might come to resent me for this, but I hope that is not the case. Your father was my world, now that he is gone I do not know how to carry on. It was hard enough when my parents died but I cannot take the grief of losing Antonio._

 _I am leaving. I do not know where or for how long but I cannot remain here where we had our life together. Please understand and give me time to heal, I long to take you with me but I could not protect you if any dangers arouse. I am leaving you in the care of Nanny, I do not want you to live at the castle until you are of the age of sixteen. I will come for you one day, watch for me and don't give up. This is not the end. Until the next time we meet, I love you._

 _Your mother, Arlena._

"Larmina."

Larmina groaned and put her letter away from her mom. It had been three years and still her mom had yet to come for her, didn't she know a girl needed a mom?

"Larmina, are you in there?" Allura asked as she knocked on the door.

With her letter safely hidden under her pillow she moved from her bed to open her door.

"What is it Allura?"

"I was wondering what you were up too."

"Nothing really." She wasn't going to let her aunt anywhere near the letter, that letter was _her's_ and no one else's, it was the only thing her mom left her.

"Well I was wondering if you would like to go to the people's forum with me today, it would be a great chance for you to get to know and serve our people."

She couldn't help but role her eyes. "I think I'll pass, I already serve them by being part of the Voltron Force and kicking butt, isn't that enough?"

 _And there she goes with the hands on her hips stance_ , she thought to herself knowing that a lecture was coming. "Please Allura, no lectures not today. You know I hate going to the people's forum."

"Larmina it doesn't matter if you hate it or not, you are the future of Arus and these are your people. You need to start taking interest in them and caring for them. I don't understand why you do not like our people."

She felt her blood boil, how dare her aunt wrongly accuse her. It's not that she didn't care she just doesn't want to get attached.

"Ugh. I never said I don't like our people I just prefer to sever them by keeping them safe than going to people forums and things like that. Could you just respect that for once and not make me go?"

"Now young lady..." Allura would've said more but she interrupted her.

"You're not my mom, so stop acting like it."

Allura paused, her face a perfect blank. "Very well, if you do not want to go to people's forum you can spend your time here studying Arusian History."

With that her aunt turned and left. Larmina let out a huge sigh and sunk back on her bed. Allura had always tried to act in charge of her and she wasn't, she always tried to take her mom's place in life and Larmina couldn't allow that. Her mom was coming back, she said she would.

/

It had been a week and a day since his accident and Keith found that it still hurt to breath or walk or do anything, it just didn't hurt as much as it first did. He didn't let on though, there were other things to worry about besides him being in pain. The week had been quite and clam, except for the robeast attack they had two days ago. Allura flew Black like a pro and lead the team the way any leader should, the only thing that worried him was that out of all the lions, Black was the one that was under attack the most. It basically confirmed his suspicions that Maahox knew he wasn't piloting Black. How he knew though, it had to be someone from the inside, one of the suitors. Coran had been unable to convince the other twelve royal advisors that they need to go back to their own planets.

None of the suitors had been acting out of place, and that worried him. Maybe because they could be planing something much more dangerous than what happened a week ago. He thought for sure at the ball last night that something bad would've happened, but it didn't. It was just another ball.

He looked at the time to see it was ten minutes after noon, and wished that the time would hurry up. Allura had people's forum with Lord Wayne and it went until two. Wayne gave him the creeps and couldn't wait for there to be space between him and Allura. There was just something about him that he really didn't like, of course he could say that about all her suitors. But there was something off with Wayne.

"Hey Keith are you available, I need you in the control room." Pidge spoke over his Voltcom. Keith was glad that Pidge was up and running.

"Yeah, I'll be right there."

/

Even though Lieutenant James Rahen had seen some hard things in his time, he was intimidated by the thought of flying the Black Lion. He didn't want to be chosen, but he was told that he was the only person that the Galaxy Alliance could spare. At least it was temporary, he was told that they wanted a permanent replacement so he was relived when he learned he would only be flying Black for two weeks.

They told him he was chosen because of all the times he's successfully lead his troops through a battle, and he was one of their best pilots. He felt like the Galaxy Alliance overestimated his ability, he wasn't trying to do anything special, he was just doing his job.

He actually felt embarrassed that he could only be spared for two weeks (the Galaxy Alliance was basically at war with itself right now) but he was told that the Queen of Arus had a very busy schedule and even for two weeks it would help her enormously for him to pilot Black. The gentleman in him couldn't turn the offer down.

He looked at the beautiful country as his plane landed, it was a sight to behold, at least knew he was going to like his view for the next two weeks.

His plane landed and he was greeted by the commander of the Voltron Force himself, and the most beautiful lady he had ever laid eyes on. Long golden hair, enchanting green eyes, her smile made his heart pump faster...

"Welcome to Arus Lieutenant James Rahen, I am Queen Allura of Arus and this is Commander Keith Kogane of the Voltron Force."

She reached out to shake his hand and his heart faltered for a second even if his body didn't show it, her hands were so soft. Then Commander Keith offered his good hand and he shook it.

"What can I say but that it's a privilege to be here?" He was usually good with words but the beauty of the queen stunned him into awkwardness.

Commander Keith spoke up to answer him. "As much as we hope you like it here, your mission won't be pretty. The stuff that we're having to fight isn't easy, if you'll follow us we will brief you in the control room and then you can have your chance to rest or look around."

"Sounds good to me." And with that the three of them left to the control room.

/

 _"Daniel, where are you?"_ Vince thought telepathically to Daniel.

 _"Not now Vince, I'm doing something that'll prove I'm ready for Black."_ Daniel answered.

Two could play this game, if Daniel wasn't going to tell Vince where he was, he was going to show him where he was. Using their telepathic connection Vince saw into Daniel's mind. He couldn't believe that Daniel would try something like that.

 _"Oh no you're not!"_ He yelled at Daniel.

 _"You can't stop me."_ Daniel sneered back. Vince could feel the betrayal and desperation in Daniel's thoughts. If only he would take time to listen, things would be different then.

 _"I can't but Keith can."_ He warned Daniel.

 _"Come on man don't blow this for me, I need this chance to prove myself before that James guy takes over Black for good."_

 _"That's what I've been trying to tell you."_

 _"What?"_

 _"Daniel, James is only staying until Keith gets better. They're waiting longer to actually find a permanent replacement. You still got time to prove yourself, and it doesn't have to be this way."_

 _"Oh."_ He felt Daniel's relief. _"But how am I ever going to prove that I'm ready for Black?"_

 _"I don't know, but I do know that stealing Black to fly to Doom to take down Maahox isn't they way to do it."_

 _"Then what is?"_

 _"Just follow the instructions that Keith gives you."_

 _"But that's going to take forever, I don't have that long."_

 _"I don't know then, but you'll find a way."_

Daniel dropped their conversation and Vince felt huge relief that he was able to talk him out of flying to Doom solo, with his haggarium infection he never would've made it.

Vince got back to work in his lab, he was so incredibly frustrated that he hadn't found a cure yet. He worked so hard to, but he couldn't take a step before reaching a cliff. There had to be a bridge and when he found it, Daniel and Sven would be cured.

/

There was a package and a letter on his bed, Keith never got mail. Which could only mean one thing, it was either from the Galaxy Alliance or his mother. Sure enough it was from his mother, he opened the letter and started to read.

 _Dear Keith,_

 _I hope this letter finds you in good health, inside the box you will find my wedding ring to that your father gave to me._

He immediately stopped reading the letter and opened the box, sure enough it had her wedding ring to his dad in it. But why would she send this to him? It was her most treasured gift, as she told him for years, it was all she had left of him. He placed the ring gently in the box and continued to read the letter.

 _It is a five carrot Arusian Diamond ring that your father gave to me on our wedding day. We were married in the Royal Chapel by the King Alfor himself, it truly was the best day of my life. As you know now your father was a knight of Arus and served the king till his dying day. I miss him terribly, and even though I love Frank, there will never be another guy that could compete with your father._

 _I am guessing by now you are confused as to why I would give you something so precious to me. Ever since your father died I had planned on giving you this when you found that special girl you wanted to spend the rest of your life with._

 _Keith you have found her. I know the situation with Allura and her suitors is tough, but have hope. Love always finds a way, I believe that there would be a way for you to lead the Voltron Force and marry Allura. It would be hard, you would have little to no free time, but you would have your love. Talk to the royal advisors and work it out. I know at this point you would tell me that the advisors would tell you that each and every one of the suitors is more fit and worthy to take the throne than you, but that is not so._

 _When your father died you were only two years old. King Alfor was surely the best king Arus ever had, it was he who summoned you and I to the Castle of Lions, it was he who knighted you. He took one look at you and saw so much potential. You were titled Knight Keith Kogane of Arus. He then told me that you and I must flee to Earth, all he would tell me is that bad things would happen to you if we stayed. Looking back now you would've become a slave of Zarkon's and might've died before you reached the age of ten. But here you are Commander of the Voltron Force, in love with the Queen of Arus. I could not be more proud of you, you could not be more worthy, go propose._

 _I love you, Martha Dugan_

Keith sat on his bed in total disbelief. He had known that his family belonged to the knights of Arus, but he never would've guess that _he_ was a knight of Arus. He did have more of a chance now to marry Allura, but he couldn't see how he would fit the time in to rule and lead the Voltron Force all in one day. He didn't know what to make of his mother's letter besides the fact that it was a ray of hope, no matter how small.

Then there was the ring, it was fit for royalty for sure. But would Allura like it? Would she know what it means to him, to his family? Once he explained he was sure she would. He had to go find her they needed to talk. He had promised her that they would find a way to be together but he had been beginning to lose hope.

There was an argument going on in the hallway that was making him loose his train of thought, he decided to listen for a moment to make sure it was nothing serious.

"Stay way from me!" Allura yelled.

"But why? A pretty little lady like you I'm sure would love to spend some one on one time with me." Came the reply.

Keith's blood boiled instantly, and he tried to run to the door. If anyone touched one hair on her head he would smash their face in with his good fist no matter who it was. No one was going to harm Allura.

"Get off of me you sicko!" He heard Allura yell, and with it he heard a snap and the person yell.

As he opened the door he saw Hamilton taking a lunge at her. He didn't care that he was a prince, no one was going to treat Allura like that. He stepped in front of Allura and caught Hamilton mid-lunge. Holding him by the collar of his shirt.

"Don't. Touch. Her." He grounded out, he never wished more than ever that his left arm would work. He couldn't hold him and punch him at the same time, maybe if he threw him on the ground and beat the crap out of him. He looked at that piece of garbage in the eye and shook him real well instead. "Understood?"

Hamilton nodded with fear. Still unsatisfied but knowing that was all he could do to him without bringing the royal advisors down his neck, he let him go and watched him run off in the other direction.

He turned around to make sure Allura was okay, he was not okay that she was shaking. She should never feel threatened in her own home.

"Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" He asked, gently caressing her check.

"No, I'm fine, except I think I hurt my hand when I punched him, he's got a sharp nose."

He took her hand in his and pressed a gentle kiss to it. "It sounded like you broke it."

"I hope so." She gently smiled at him.

"I hope so too, if not I will go back and finish breaking it for you. Why didn't you use your Voltcom to signal help or to use against him."

"I couldn't." She held up her Voltcom for him to see. Sure enough it was broken. "I was walking to my office when all of the sudden he came out of no where with a knife, he grabbed my arm and stabbed my Voltcom all over the place before I had time to react. I was able to kick the knife out of his hand and then I ran, I was trying to make it to you're room in hopes that you were in there resting but he caught me before I could make it."

Keith was furious, the royal advisors would hear about this for sure, and within no time Hamilton would be sent home. He would make sure personally that Allura would have someone on the Force with her all the time or at least whenever she was around one of the suitors. He was going to find Hamilton and kill him, he came at her with a knife! His blood raged under his skin.

"Keith please," Allura said touching his arm, bringing him out of his train of thought. "Don't go crazy, I don't want a bodyguard, not in my own home."

"Well until Hamilton is gone, you've got one. Come we need to go have a meeting in the control room, and we need to have Pidge fix your Voltcom."

"Keith, I can't. I have important paperwork that has been put of long enough, it can't be delayed more than it has been."

She looked up at him with pleading green eyes that threaten to have tears spilled over. He could tell she was having a really bad day. He opened his good arm to her and she went into his embrace, burying her head into his good shoulder.

"You didn't get any sleep last night did you?" He asked her.

"No, the nightmares were too intense."

"What do you do when they get that intense?" He asked.

"I go to my father's crypt, I'd talk to him and he would calm me down and bring peace to my heart. But now he left, saying I needed to make this kingdom my own. Now there is no peace, no solace. I'm alone, just like I was when he died."

He didn't know how she wasn't in tears at this very moment, she had been through so much. Not only had she stayed strong, she stayed positive. That's one thing he loved about her.

"Well tonight when you can't sleep come wake me up, I'll sit with you, I'll talk with you, I'll comfort you. You don't need to go through this alone."

She looked up at him, "But you need sleep."

"And you need sleep just as much as I do. No come on, I'll walk you to your office and then I will go take care of things. Tonight when you wake up I expect you to come find me."

She nodded and he kissed her head, hand in hand they walked to her office, he was past the point of caring who saw them.

/

She was almost done with her paperwork and to her surprise it looked as if she might be able to catch a short nap before dinner. Allura still felt frazzled since the incident earlier, she was immensely grateful for Keith and for him stepping in.

There was a knocking on her door and for a moment she feared that it was Hamilton but then she realized he wouldn't have knocked.

"Come in."

A second later one of the castle gaurds came through the door. "Your Majesty." He bowed to her.

"What is it Emmett?"

"I have a letter for you." He set the letter on her desk, "That is all."

"Thank you, Emmett. You may go." She told him, her voice shaking, she knew who this letter was from.

He bowed once more and left the room.

She picked up the letter that she had written to her sister Arlena hoping that it would somehow come to her. It had, and she returned it. It was a invation asking her to come see Larmina, just like the ones that she had sent to the other parents. Written on the back of it were three words.

 _Leave me be._


	10. Chapter 10

Authors note

The newest chapter is finally here! The holidays, school and work had me going crazy, I'm in the middle of a job switch currently so it's still crazy, but I'm back now! I hope you all enjoy and comment what you think of it, that would make my day. Once again I do not own Voltron or any of its characters, but I have made some of mine own characters for this story.

 _So where I left off last chapter was Allura in her office after she had been attacked by Hamilton. Many of you are probably wondering what has happened to him. The Royal Thirteen could not deny that he had attacked her but they were against sending him home. Except Coran of course! Anyways they're giving him a second chance, but there are limits. He can only see her on a scheduled date with two bodyguards only five times a week. So this means no more balls or meals or people forums with the Queen. Thank goodness right?_

In the Life

Chapter 10

 _"Nedaa" The Drule king spoke. His voice was followed by the sound of laser guns firing and two victims falling to the ground, their screams drowning out everything else._

"No!" Allura screamed awake, tears streaming down her face. Her heart beating out of her chest, she sat there paralyzed unable to move. Fear had gripped her heart and it wasn't letting go.

She had only been asleep for a little over twenty minuets, her nightmares weren't even dreams anymore it was just visits to her past. She was surprised however that this time it jumped to where her parents were murdered instead of starting at the ball.

/

Lieutenant James Rahen had been sent to alert the queen it was almost time for dinner and that he was to be her bodyguard to the occasion. Commander Keith Kogane had warned him however that Allura would disapprove at having a bodyguard. He was hoping however that she would open up to the idea of having him as a bodyguard and getting to know her a lot better.

He knocked on her door but there was no answer, afraid she might not have heard him he knocked again. Silence was his greeting.

"Your Majesty, it is I, Lieutenant James Rahen. I am here to escort you safely to dinner. It starts it ten minuets my lady."

There was no answer, only silence. Something was wrong, he could feel it.

"Is it alright if I may come in?"

Silence.

Following his gut he opened the door and did a search of the room with his eyes. His heart skipped many beats as he saw the queen curled up in her bed, paler than a ghost breathing rapidly with tears streaming down her face.

He ran to her side.

"Are you okay?" He asked urgently taking her shoulders in his hands trying to shake her out of shock. "Did Hamilton hurt you? Where are you hurt?"

Her eyes were a horrid daze that refused to come to reality. Finally after a couple of minuets with his help she started to come out of shock.

"I'm not hurt." Allura spoke weakly.

"What's wrong?"

Allura sat up quickly returning to her normal self.

"Nothing. Nothing is wrong. I had a bad dream. That's all."

She founded so final, he could tell she didn't want him to ask questions, but that had to be more than a dream to put her into a state of shock like that.

"Your Majesty, that had to be more than a bad dream. Perhaps I should call the doctor to make sure..."

She cut him off with a hard glare.

"Lieutenant. It was _just_ a bad dream, _that's all._ Now I imagine you're here to escort me to dinner because I know that the Commander has placed bodyguards over me. Now before we go you must promise me that you will never tell anyone you saw me like this. Is that understood?"

He could see she wasn't asking, it was a command.

"But why? I really think it's best if you stay here and rest and I'll send the doctor..."

"No. The queen _cannot_ be weak. My people need a strong queen and if they see I am not strong, if they hear about this. They will think I am weak. They will pity me and eventually question my rule. And that can lead to chaos. I have to be strong because they need someone who is strong, you will not tell anyone about this. Now leave me be so I can get ready."

"Yes your majesty." James turned and left her room and stood wait outside her door. He couldn't believe that she thought her people demanded her to be strong all the time. He decided that he would have Coran talk to her about it.

Ten minuets later he was astonished by how much she had changed her look. No longer was she a terrified, helpless and pale person. She had somehow regained her color back any trace of tiredness or something else was replaced as she stood in a simple blue and white gown, hair perfectly straight and looking as if she didn't have a care in the world.

/

Something was wrong. Keith felt in his bones, even his broken ones. Allura was late. She was never late. Hamilton wasn't here either, he was supposed to be eating in a separate room. There was always the chance that he could've gotten to her, he didn't know why he sent James when he should've went himself.

He shared a look with Lance, Keith could tell that he had the same thought. He was about to get up when Allura and James walked into the room, James had his hand on the small of her back. Whatever had happened between them, he did not like it, nor was he okay with it.

Allura made eye contact with him as she sat down and then with everyone else and started to speak.

"I'm terribly sorry I am late. I was in my office working on some important paperwork and time seemed to slip me by, if it wasn't for Lieutenant James I fear I would've missed dinner completely."

"You poor thing! You work too hard, it would be more ideal for you to let me help you with your workload." Jerome spoke, Keith knew that if Jerome was closer he would've tried to make a move on her.

He ignored his irritation with Jerome and gave a pointed look at James, he needed to know the real reason Allura was late. He was the only one who knew that she had went to take a nap, so why did she just lie to his face? He worried that something personal passed between them, it could've happened. James was a handsomer man than he was.

James gave him a look that said he couldn't tell him what had happened. Keith knew it then and his heart sank low, James had feelings for Allura, that was obvious. Now he feared was that Allura was starting to have feelings for James.

/

 _Two days later_

/

If there was anything Lance loved it was to see his commander and best friend Jealous. And boy did Keith wreak with it.

They were watching Allura train James how to properly fly the Black Lion. Keith was staring with envy during the whole lesson too. As much as Lance found it assuming he was curious why Keith would be so jealous. Didn't he know Allura only had eyes for him?

He walked up to Keith and punched him jokingly in the shoulder.

"Why so jealous?"

"I'm not jealous." Keith said firmly punching him back but a bit harder, but he never took his eyes of Black.

"You're green with it." He replied rubbing his shoulder.

Before Keith could say anything Black Lion landed and Allura came out laughing followed by James.

"Well James you're a fast learner, you've learned all I can teach you."

"Nonsense, you're a marvelous teacher." Came his reply, he almost reached out to take her hand but she stepped away.

"Well if everyone would excuse me I need to head back to the castle and make sure Larmina is attending to her duties." With that Allura turned and started walking towards the castle.

Lance knew it was his time to leave, he was Allura's bodyguard today. But he thought he should slip in a few words of wisdom first.

"Keith I can see why your jealous but you have no reason to be, Allura clearly isn't in to him."

Keith gave him a glare that said he wasn't talking about this, he was all in command mode. It was creepy how imitating he could be even with multiple broken bones.

Lance jogged up to catch Allura.

"I don't need a bodyguard Lance." Man, no one was in a good mood today, he thought to himself.

"Yes you do."

Allura turned around and looked hard into his eyes, hands on her hips. "No I don't, I am perfectly capable of protecting myself!"

"That's not what happened last time."

"I was caught off guard last time, that's not going to happen..."

"Well speak of the devil." Lance said interrupting Allura, "Allura, get behind me now!"

Hamilton was walking towards them and something was wrong. Hamilton had a bodyguard who was supposed to watch him twenty-four seven. The fact that Hamilton was alone did nothing to ease the feeling that he was dangerous.

"Stay where you are." He yelled at him.

"No why would I do that, I've come for the Queen."

Lance activated his Voltcom right as Hamilton revealed a laser gun.

"Nedaa!" Hamilton yelled, he was about to fire but he was too slow. Lance had already shot him with his pistols.

He turned around to make sure Allura was okay, and what he saw scared him to death. He was sure Hamilton hadn't been able to pull the trigger, and even if he had it would've hit him not her. So why did she look like she had been shot.

She was going into shock he decided, he quickly told Keith on his Voltcom that he needed to get over here now. Allura started shaking, she had turned so pale she made white look tan.

"Allura!" He yelled as he grabbed her as she fell.

/

After she had been given the go by the Doctor Gorma that she was able to leave med-bay, Allura headed straight to the council chambers where she knew the Royal Thirteen would be. Straight pass Keith, James, Lance, everyone who was waiting for her to recover.

She received many surprise stares as she burst open the doors and came storming in, but she didn't care.

"I demand that you all send Hamilton home at once!"

"Your Majesty, why so haste? This is such an important decision, it will determine how our planets will get along in the future. We can not afford to be so hasty and loose an ally." Quin-Lynn spoke ever so calmly.

"It seems to me that we have already lost this ally to Doom." Allura replied coldly.

"What do you mean? Since the beginning of Voltron and the Galaxy Alliance and before that, they have ever been our ally." Quin-Lynn replied almost smugly.

"Alliances can change. If you are so sure that Hamilton is an ally then answer me this. _Why_ did he have a _Drule_ weapon? And _why_ did he speak the _Drule_ word for _kill?"_

Quin-Lynn and the other advisors didn't have a response.

"Exactly. Now I demand that you send him back to his home planet at once."

"But your Majesty, we feel as if it'd be best for the planet if he were the one to marry you and provide an heir." Quin-Lynn replied not as smug.

Allura felt sick to her stomach and couldn't believe she was about to say this. "Well in that case you better have Maahox bring Lotor back to life and force me to marry him. I will not marry anyone who works with Doom, and I am sick that you would ever want me too. Now send him back, that's an order."

Allura turned around and hurried past the shocked faces of Keith, James, Lance and everyone else. She couldn't think anymore, she started to run. The only chance she could find peace tonight would be by her father's crypt.

/

Keith would've chased after her, he longed to hold her in his arms and comfort her. He didn't though, not in front of the Royal Thirteen. He didn't want to make them suspicious. He was mad though when James did. They've been spending a lot of time together and Keith knew that James like Allura, he was afraid that he was losing her to him.

Keith called a meeting in the Control Room not even five minuets later. Everyone in the Force was there except James and Allura, a fact he tried to ignore. Something bugged him.

"All right team. We might be sending Hamilton home but I don't think we've caught the Doom suitor."

"What do you mean?" Larmina asked, "I thought that was Hamilton."

"So did we all." He replied, then shrugged at Vince and Pidge.

"Well," Vince started, "While Pidge and I have been working hard to find a cure for the haggarium, we accidentally made a truth telling serum."

"So," continued Pidge, "When Hamilton was claiming he was innocent and he was set up, in order to prove it he agreed to let us use it on him."

"And?" Ask Lance who was clearly getting impatient.

"He's telling the truth." Said Pidge.

/

"There I have framed a young suitor for the freak accident you caused, don't you dare try to mess up my plans again."

"Thank you master."

"No one will suspect you as long as you don't act against my wishes."

"I promise, I won't mess up."

"Good." Maahox laughed.

The thing was he still had some of the potion left that Maahox gave him, for all he knew it wouldn't hurt if he slipped some of it into Commander Keith's drink just like he did to Hamilton. The thought made him laugh, all too soon Allura and Arus would be his.


	11. Chapter 11

In the life

Author's note

Sorry I haven't written in a while, life kept on getting in the way. I hope you all enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Comment and let me know what you think! The story takes place almost two weeks exactly from where I left off. Once again I do not own Voltron or any of it's characters.

Chapter 11

 _It's_ _all one big mess!_ Allura thought to herself as she paced her office. Most of her royal advisors were mad at her, Larmina was trying to be even more rebellious it seemed, Keith was keeping his distance from her and she couldn't figure out why, she was still forced to have a bodyguard with her, and finally she had gotten no sleep last night and the last thing she wanted to do was go on a 'date' with Lord William. Running a kingdom was hard enough without all these distractions!

"Are you all right?" James asked her.

"I'm fine."

"If you say so." James said not believing her.

/

"How am I looking doc?" Keith asked Doctor Gorma.

"Almost perfect," came the reply as he showed Keith the x-rays. "Your bones are only fractured in a couple places and you'll be able to take those casts off two days tops."

"That's the best news I've heard all day."

"I bet it is. Makes you real grateful for the advance medicine we have here. Most places it would take a lot more than almost three weeks for all those bones to heal."

Keith just nodded although he could move around much better now he still wasn't healed enough to fly Black. Personally he couldn't wait to take over Black again and send James home. His two weeks were almost up and Keith couldn't be more grateful.

James had tried hard to spend as much time as he could with Allura anyone could see he was smitten with her. He just didn't know how she took all that attention, she didn't protest it like she did with the suitors. It made him worry he was losing her to him.

/

Larmina was hiding in the den from her aunt. She understood that her aunt was under a lot of stress but she didn't have to put more responsibility on her!

At fifteen her life was complicated enough. She was still in school, confused with her feelings for Daniel, she didn't have her parents to talk too and she was a full time member of the Voltron Force. She had enough on her plate and she didn't need Allura putting more on it and acting like her mom the whole time!

She thought she heard someone coming and leaned into the wall as much as she could. She just wanted to be alone where no one could find her right now. The sound passed and she relaxed a bit. Why couldn't she be a normal fifteen year old?

/

"I don't understand!" Pidge exclaimed leaning over his last test results of the experiment he had completed with the haggarium.

"I know." Vince sighed.

"We've done and tried everything and we should've at least had one answer by now, but nothing is working! All we're doing is stalling the haggariums growth!"

Vince rubbed his forehead between piloting the Green Lion and trying to find a cure for the haggarium infections he was maybe getting a four hours of sleep a night. He couldn't allow himself to rest, there was so much depended on finding a cure.

"I know," He replied to Pidge, "there hast to be a cure somewhere maybe we've found it and overlooked it somehow."

Pidge sighed and rubbed his hand through his hair. "Maybe, lets restart all tests. We might find the answer we've been looking for if we start from the beginning somehow."

/

"I can't believe Keith is making me do this stupid lesson." Daniel complained. This was so unfair- studying a map of the galaxy was not going to help him become Black's pilot. He already had it memorized, this was lesson pointless.

"Maybe there is a different lesson Keith is trying to have you learn." Sven said as he put his history book down.

"Like what? A short cut to Doom so I can cut off Maahox's head? News flash I already know the fastest way there."

"No."

"Then what am I supposed to learn that I haven't already?" He felt the haggarium surge and struggled to recompose himself, Keith was treating him like a child not a leader. It made him angry that he was in here doing nothing important when he could be out in Black saving the world.

"Patience."

"What does that have to do with this situation?"

"You rush to much, you think saving the world should be done as fast as the speed of light. Or in this case the speed of Daniel. But you have a hard time thinking things through. You have yet to learn that when it comes to saving the world in order for it to work it takes a whole lot of patience and planing."

Daniel just rolled his eyes, everyone underestimated him so much.

/

It was time. He had waited long enough for everyone to believe everything had gone back to normal after Hamilton. Letting people believe that things were normal.

He smiled to himself at the thought of having Keith Kogane dismissed as Commander of the Voltron Force. It would be easier for him to get to the queen without him in the way.

Lunch was staring in ten minuets as he slipped the last of the potion that Maahox gave him into the cup where the commander would be drinking out of.

The potion was designed to do one thing: bring harm to the queen.

/

"That was the most wonderful time I had with you, I can not wait until our next date." Lord William said kissing her hand.

It was starting to become a little bit easier to not cringe whenever one of her suitors happened to do that. Quickly she took her hand away and offered a gracious smile.

"I too had a pleasant time."

James was standing behind her as he was her bodyguard today. He was leaving tomorrow and she would be sad to see him go, he had become a friend in the short time he'd been here.

"Allura we are going to be late for lunch, perhaps you two can have this conversation on the way there."

"Of course." Lord William responded for her. "I seem to lose track of time when I'm here, lunch sounds perfect right about now."

As they were walking to the dining hall Allura noticed Keith staring at them and then glancing away when she caught his stare. He had been so distant lately and she didn't like it one bit, she was going to find out why.

"If you would excuse me for just one moment I need to talk to the Commander." She knew what both of the men were about to say. And spoke again before they could say it.

"I'm sure Keith can make sure I make it to lunch safely." Having said that she left them and called out to Keith and hurried to join him.

/

"Is something wrong?" He asked as she reached him.

"Yes."

"What's wrong?"

"You." She said solemnly.

"Me?" Keith asked shocked, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow.

"Yes you."

"I think your mistaken nothing's wrong in fact doc says I'm almost completely healed."

"I'm glad to hear it." Allura said putting her arms on her chest, "but that's not what I'm talking about."

"Then what are you talking about?" Keith asked a little exasperated.

"You've been avoiding me." Allura said looking at him straight in the eye. "I want to know why."

Keith felt the sting of pain that was in her eyes. He didn't even think she noticed his absence with James hanging around all her the time.

"I haven't been avoiding you Allura I've just been busy, we all have."

They were all alone now everyone else had gone to lunch.

"Don't give me an excuse. I want to know why Keith."

"It's not an excuse, it's the truth."

He saw her eyes tear up a little with his answer, she turned away from him.

"How come you never meet me on the terrace anymore? You never ask how I'm doing anymore, you said you'd be there when I needed you but you haven't been there at all these past two weeks. Even when your busy you make time for these things but you just with-drawled all the sudden and I don't know why. I don't want to lose you Keith but all of the sudden it feels like I am."

Her words cut him deep, he'd been a fool. A jealous one at that. He didn't know what to say or even how to say it, he opened his mouth to speak to explain but then she looked at him and he was lost.

A tear rolled down her cheek and she wiped it away.

"Forget I asked, were going to be late for lunch." She straightened her back and walked to lunch.

He watched her leave, how stupid of him! He had thought that she had fallen in love with James and had withdrawn herself from him. But he could see now it was him who put the distance between them.

He followed Allura to lunch now was not the time to talk about it but they would talk, tonight. He was going to fix what hurt he had created.

/

Lance wondered if he was the only one who noticed the tension when Allura and Keith walked in. He figured he probably was the only one. No one had really realized yet that they hadn't been spending as much time together so the fact that the came in together meant something. It was hidden but it was there.

Sushi was on the menu today and he couldn't wait to dig in.

The meal started and everything felt at ease. Maahox had already attacked this week and the team handled it like a pro, he had his beautiful fiancé by his side talking to Nora about wedding colors or something like that, and Hunk was in the middle of telling the funniest joke he heard in forever.

Life was good, he thought when suddenly Keith spat out his drink.

Before anyone could react Keith was already barking out orders.

"Pidge go check the Control Room for security breaches! Vince have this drink checked and find out what kind of poison is in it! Hunk stay with Allura we still have a traitor in our midst! Lance restrain me and take me to medbay I've been poisoned."

Everyone just stared at him in disbelief.

"Come on people these are orders move!" Keith yelled at them.

"Uh Keith aren't you overreacting you just took a drink." Coran said confused.

"I'm not overreacting, the idiot who poisoned this forgot that I drink water and this doesn't taste like water."

"You're not suggesting that's the same poison that they used on Hamilton." Lance asked Keith.

"I am."

"How soon should it kick in, can you feel it?"

"I don't know, not yet I don't think... all the more reason to restrain me before..."

Lance was already on it, he hated to do restrain his best friend but under the circumstances...

"What is going on?" Allura cried out, "You mean Hamilton was poisoned or under some sort of spell?"

"Yes." Hunk said awkwardly. "We meant to tell you about that but you were just so busy..."

Hunk's voice disappeared as Lance took Keith farther away from the dining hall.

"Looks like we're in hot water buddy."

"You could say that again." Keith said dryly.

/

 _Hours later_

/

Allura had a headache now. This day kept on getting worse and worse. First Keith denies that he is distancing himself from her and now she can hear him shouting from the other half of the castle how much he wants to kill her.

"Well at least you know he doesn't mean it Aunt Allura." Larmina spoke as she sat by her trying to comfort her.

"I know, but that doesn't really help right now."

There was so much to take in, Hamilton was innocent and the traitor was still among them somewhere. The responsibility to discover who it was felt heavy on her shoulders, but if not her then who? There was no way she was going to take the risk that she would become engaged to a traitor.

"Yeah it probably doesn't help, not much can when you hear the one you love shouting at you to die." Larmina said dryly.

Allura stared at Larmina and wondered how she missed it.

"So this is what it feels like when Daniel is on a haggarium surge? I'm so sorry Larmina." She gave her a side hug.

"I never said anything like that," Larmina said defensively, "but it is hard to have a friend yell at you to die."

Before Allura could respond Larmina's Voltcom went off. It was Vince.

"Larmina we need you to get to blue lion now! Maahox is attacking again and the haggarium levels on this robeast are one of the highest I've ever seen!"

Larmina and Allura both shared a look of horror and ran to the control room. She might not be able to help like Larmina could but she would help however she could.

/

James had been standing guard outside Allura's room making sure that no one who meant to do her harm got to her. He had heard the whole conversation and his heart broke.

He never realized how fully he fell in love with the Queen. She was too easy to love, she was full of sunshine and love that filled any man. And she would never be his.

His heart fell into pieces and chaos, not that he actually believed he had a chance, but that he would never get a chance to prove he loved her.

/

 _That next day_

/

Twenty-three. Twenty-three people died that night. Arus was hurting. Arus was crying. Arus was mourning.

Where did it all go wrong? How did it all go wrong? This was the first time since Voltron had been restored that innocent people died on their watch.

One of the city walls had fallen on fire, Voltron had been wining then Voltron had been sent flying back and slammed into it. The wall broke, they're hadn't been enough time to evacuate the people.

Then all of the sudden the robeast turned around and ran, there was a quake and then all was peaceful.

/

"Well it seems the only good news is that the potion has officially left Keith's system, seems like its an only twelve hour kind of thing, just long enough to do its damage and leave." Pidge said.

Keith already knew that and hated himself that he had been weak enough to give into the potion. He couldn't help feeling like it was his fault Voltron failed. James kept blaming himself that in the heat of the moment he couldn't think straight. If Keith had been in Black none of it wouldn't have happen. Those twenty-three people would still be alive.

The whole force was waiting outside the council room. Allura and the Royal Thirteen were in serious discussion. Keith had a feeling he knew what they were talking about and it made his blood boil.

The fact that anyone would blame Allura for the deaths of her people seemed so unfair. But she had told him before that it doesn't matter who protects them in the end if people die under the rule of a monarch it is on the monarchs head for not providing the security needed to keep their people safe.

She had told him that even though she was only six years old when her parents died the monarchy passed to her. People got scared and lost their faith in her. If they hadn't been in the middle of a war they would've put in a new monarchy to take her place.

He couldn't believe that the people put blame on her, her sister and her deceased parents, but as she said they had to put their blame on somebody. So they put it on her a little six year old and her sister.

At that moment Allura and the Royal Thirteen came out of the council room everyone was on their feet at once eager to know what had taken place in the meeting.

Allura had her head pointed down at the floor, shoulders sagging. She was in defeat and it broke his heart.

"Queen Allura," Quinn-Lynn started to say, "has failed our people today." The was a chorus of disbelief across the room.

"Quiet," Quinn-Lynn continued to speak. "Now I know you all feel like it is you who failed them and that is partly true. But it is not all your fault! The role of a Princess is to marry and form an alliance that will bring strength and security to her planet, she is to marry at the age of seventeen and shortly thereafter provide an heir to further secure the kingdom. A _Queen_ should have seen to this already and Allura has failed. Had she been married and formed an alliance we could've had their help last night, we could've won before all those life's were lost. Allura has failed here. The majority of the Royal Thirteen has decreed that her time to decide is up and if she does not give us an answer to whom she will marry in a weeks time we will choose for her. This is final and nothing on Arus will change it."

Without waiting for any reply most of the Royal Thirteen left the room, only Coran stayed.

Keith held onto his chair for support, he couldn't believe what he had heard. He might be a knight of Arus but there was no alliance he could give Arus by marrying her. Just like that he was loosing her.

"Cor... Coran! You guys can't do that! That's not fair!" Larmina bursted out.

"I was out voted twelve to one Larmina there was no choice." Coran said unhappily.

"But one of them is a traitor!" Lance shouted out, "You can't risk her marrying a traitor."

"I've told them that and they won't listen." Coran said.

"Then what do we do?" Lance asked.

"Try to make sure she doesn't marry the traitor." And with that Coran walked out of the room and all eyes fell on Allura.

She was trying so hard to hold back the tears.

"I don't get how they can just override your voice in all of this Allura." Hunk spoke.

"It's because I am a single monarch if I was married this wouldn't happen..." A tear feel down her cheek as she spoke.

Keith was still in too much shock to speak, all he was able to do was walk to Allura and embrace her. He didn't care who saw, he was losing his time with her. There was so much they needed to discuss but there wasn't time not anymore, he closed his eyes and held on to her.


	12. Chapter 12

In the life

Chapter 12

Sorry it's been awhile since I've updated, life got in the way. Enjoy!

 _Two days later_

Larmina stood in the corner of the hallway as she watched the happy reunion of her friends and their families. Most of them hadn't seen each other in years. Allura had set it up months ago because it would be good for everyone. But Larmina couldn't help feeling like a shadow in the sunlight that shone on everyone else. Where was her mom? She'd said she would come back one day, but that was years ago. Where was she now? Didn't she know a girl needed her mom?

/

"Well son," Martha spoke to Keith, "lunch was delicious. But how come we haven't met Allura yet? I've been dying to meet my future daughter in law."

"Mother," Keith replied, "it's kinda complicated right now."

"Love isn't complicated dear," she replied with all the knowledge of a loving mother. "You only make it complicated by fighting against it and avoiding it. It might be hard but you can fight against the hard not the love. Love makes even the hard things bearable."

Keith sighed knowing she wasn't going to give up on the subject. He hadn't told her yet what happened two days ago. How their love didn't matter anymore because the kingdom wouldn't accept it.

He did know though that Allura did want to meet his parents, even though he knew he couldn't change the subject totally he could change it a little bit.

"How bout I go take you to meet her?" He asked.

His parents shared a hopeful look and nodded. "That would be lovely." His mother replied.

They left the dining room and walked to Allura's office. She said she'd be working on all the paperwork that had been getting neglected that she needed to catch up on.

He knocked on her office door but there was no reply. He figured that she was so focused on her work she didn't hear him. So he opened the door and started to speak.

"Allura, I would like you too meet..." His voice trailed off. Allura had fallen asleep at her desk which was full of paperwork. Her pen still in her hand and dark heavy circles under her eyes. His mom peeked around his shoulder.

"Oh dear, it looks like she's fallen asleep. Poor girl, so much responsibility for one so young. I guess we will meet her another time."

"About that," Keith said closing the door behind him as they moved back into the hallway. "There's not going to be a lot of time to meet with her. I told her she should've rescheduled you all coming to another week but she wouldn't listen to me."

"What do you mean?" His father asked confused. "Why would she invite us to come on a week that wasn't good for her?"

Keith looked at the man whom he called his father. He had always known they weren't blood but he had always thought that they were from the same planet.

"Because she wanted to meet you." _While there was still hope._ He thought to himself.

/

So that's the whole tour, what do you think? Vince asked his parents feeling proud. His family might not have been poor growing up but they never had everything. He had always seen how hard his parents worked for him and his siblings. They had neglected their own needs to see that him and his siblings didn't go without anything. It had always been a fear of his that he would never do anything worthwhile in his life that would make his parents proud. But here he was a member of the Voltron Force and a scientist finding a cure.

"Vince we are so proud of you." His mother spoke. Her dark eyes shone as she said this but her smile wavered and she gripped her husband's hand. They shared a look.

"Mom what's wrong?" Vince was worried, did he somehow disappoint them?

"Nothing is wrong, Vince dear. It's just... time we told you."

...

Vince's heart was beating out of his chest?

"What do you mean I'm not you're son?" He couldn't think, nothing was making sense.

Tears were spilling down the checks of both of his parents.

"It's not that you're not our son, you are." His father spoke. "But we found you in a basket in our field with a note for you. And a note for the person who found you. It told us your name and that you're one of the last of your kind so you had to be hidden. We were instructed not to tell you until you were ready. And it's clear as daylight. You're ready." The person Vince had thought of as his father for his whole life reached out his hand that held a card, he could see his name on the top of that card.

/

Allura woke with a horrible headache. She was surprised and mad at herself to find out it was almost dinner time. She had completely slept through all the families arriving and she had let so much time go to waste.

There had been so much stress she wasn't even able to dream. Not that she minded at this time in her life, she didn't want _those_ nightmares in her life right now. Putting her thoughts aside she quickly got dressed and made herself presentable. It took longer than she liked.

Dinner was about to be served as she walked into the dining room. She wore a simple but elegant white and green dress. She felt self conscious introducing herself so late in the day. _How embarrassing, a queen should always be there to greet her guest._ She chastened herself.

"I'm so sorry I was not able to personally greet you earlier," she spoke to everyone. "I was held up by my many duties, but not any longer. Welcome to Arus. I'm am so glad and honored to have you all here. Although many of you are only staying one week, you are welcomed here as long as you like. Now let's eat."

/

"Daniel." His father spoke when he had gotten him alone.

"Yes dad?"

"Are you sure you should be here? I know your friends assured us that they're finding a cure for you, but why don't you just come back home and do something safe with your life before you waste it?"

Daniel felt his blood boil a bit and tried to restrain it. It was so easy now to lose his temper. His dad never supported his dreams, of course his dad was going to try to have him quit just when Black was barely out of his reach.

"Don't even try to talk me out of it. I know what I'm doing and I'm not throwing my life away. Vince and Pidge will find a cure for me and then I will be the pilot of the Black Lion. I know what I'm doing.

"I bet you said the same thing when you went and got yourself infected with that haggarium stuff."

The last thing Daniel wanted was to ruin what had been a good day by arguing with his dad. Why couldn't his dad or anyone ever believe in him? He stormed off to the den before his dad could bother him more.

/

 _Three days later_

/

A beautiful red sunrise lit the Arus sky. The red sun was creating all kinds of pinks and oranges that stretched all across the horizon. Paying a beautiful silent tribute to that tragic day twenty years ago.

As beautiful as the sunrise was it was nothing compared to the person Keith held in his arms.

They had spent the night together on the terrace. Neither of them had slept. Allura had been to stressed and scared to sleep and Keith refused to let her suffer alone.

"Are you ready for today?" He asked, knowing that everyone in the castle would be up soon and needing her.

"No. It's hard to believe it's been twenty years. It just feels like another day without them but they add up. Years add up. All I have is memories and those fade besides the painful ones..." She drifted off in thought and he held her tighter.

They stood there in each other's embrace until they started hearing motion in the castle.

"I don't think I can do it. I don't think I can be strong enough for this Keith. Normally in the past I've just taken it easy on this day but I can't."

"You can and will Allura." He spoke reassuringly. "You can make it just until tonight, I'll be by your side the entire day. Lean on me and use my strength."

She didn't say anything more and neither did he. They were both lost in thought, today was going to be one of the most stressful days of his life. Allura only had two more days until she officially became engaged and they still hadn't discovered the traitor yet. Knowing his luck Maahox was bound to attack again today.

/

"Larmina, you are avoiding your responsibilities!" Allura yelled after her.

"I'll get to them later, I have to do something else now, something more important."

"What could be more important at this moment?"

"Nothing that concerns you okay?"

She saw the look her aunt was giving her and she had enough.

"Stop trying to control me all the time, you're not my mother, so stop acting like it."

With that she ran out of the castle ignoring her aunt calling her.

Larmina had found a note on her pillow from her mom telling her to meet her in the apple orchard an hour before noon. Her mom had finally come back. Nothing was going to stop her from meeting her.

...

There she was, she couldn't believe her mother was standing ten feet in front her. Her long red hair waving in the wind, her brown eyes had a strange sadness to them.

"Mom?" Larmina asked nervously, it was almost too good to be true.

Arlena stood with open arms. "It's really me."

Needing no more invitation Larmina ran straight into her mother's arms. All those years of loneliness melted away during their hug. Her mother was back, finally back and here to stay.

"Mom, I'm so glad you're back. I have so much to tell you, so much to show you!"

"I bet you do, but I'm not going back to the castle."

Larmina looked at her mom confused.

"What do you mean? You're not leaving again, you just got back!"

Her mother looked at her with sad eyes. "I can't stay here Larmina, it's too painful. There's too many sad memories, too many reminders of pain. I came here to get you, then we can leave."

"I'm not going anywhere mom, I'm part of the Voltron Force, they need me."

"No!" Her mother said firmly and almost angry. "You think they need you but they don't, they don't need you risking your life when there is absolutely no reason..."

Larmina cut them off. "They _do_ need me mom, Allura couldn't be a pilot anymore and I was the only one who could take her place."

"The fact that your aunt lets you ride into danger proves how irresponsible she has become."

"Mom, you know Aunt Allura is the most responsible person alive."

Her mom sighed. "Enough, I'm not fighting with you about this. Don't you want to be with me? We can finally spend time together and be a family again, mother and daughter."

"Of course I want to be with you! I've always wanted that! Don't you know how bad a girl needs her mom? But I'm not leaving I have responsibilities here, just like you did, but when dad died you abandoned them, you abandoned me!" She was crying now. "How could you mom?"

Her mother gently gave her a hug. "My dear _dear_ Larmina. I never meant to abandon you. I guess I did. When your dad died I was crushed with so much grief I could barely breath. If I stayed I couldn't have been the mother you needed. So I left, to get stronger, so I could be the mother you needed."

"No you ran away mom. I was grieving and I didn't run away, neither did Allura. We stayed and we picked up the pieces that dad and you left even though everything was still crumbling down. But we found peace and happiness and you could've too.

Tears streamed down her mother's cheeks. "Larmina I..."

Larmina's voltcom started going off. "Hold on moment. I have to go, my team needs me."

"Why? What wrong?" He mom asked anxiously.

"I don't know, but I just got an urgent code, something is very wrong."

"So you're just going to run into unknown danger?"

"Yep."

"But you could die!"

"My team could die if I don't, you see around here we think of more than just ourselves."

Larmina regretted saying that the moment she saw the pain it caused on her mother's face but it was too late. She ran back to the castle and prepared herself for the worst.

/

The whole force was in the control room with Allura, Coran and their families having lunch and trying to figure which suitor was the traitor. When all of the sudden they were frozen in fear. The big screen started playing old security footage from a ship a long time ago.

 _No no no!_ Allura screamed in her head. It was playing the dream she couldn't awake from, except this wasn't her dream. This was the video footage of that horrible horrible day.

She wanted to run, to scream, to shoot the screen with her arrow. But she couldn't, fear had plagued her. Just as it has plagued her five year old self. And apparently everyone in the room too.

She watched in horror as her father refused to arrange a marriage with Zarkon. Zarkon's face filled with rage as he yelled the command to have her parents killed. It was all too much, Allura fell to her knees as her parents collapsed lifeless on the floor. " _No!"_ She had screamed. _Why hadn't anyone turned the screen off, why was everyone just standing there helpless._ She couldn't let it go on anymore she had to stop it.

The tape continued to play. Allura could only crawl, but she would get there. She would stop this nightmare.

"King Zarkon, what shall we do with the child?" The guards had asked.

"Whatever you want, just as long as you keep her alive. She's going to marry my son one day. Ugh, but for now take her to a room and make her stop weeping, she's giving me a headache."

The sounds of screams and whips followed.

Before she could reach the screen the footage had paused and a voice spoke. Maahox was standing right in front of her.

"I'm surprised you can move. The fear potion I released in the air was supposed to stop everyone in their tracks. I took the same fear you felt during that video clip and multipled it's effects, I thought it would add a nice touch." He laughed evilly.

Taking heart Allura stood up, powered on her voltcom and pulled back her bow and arrow aiming it right in his face.

"I'm not a helpless little child anymore, I've spent the last twenty years of my life fighting that fear and if you think that's going to defeat me you're a dead man. Now why are you here?"

Maahox laughed again.

"You're so delightful thinking you're going to shoot me. You might as well put the bow and arrow down. You're not going to kill me. You're going to surrender."

"And why would I do that?"

"You wouldn't want me to blow your planet up now would you?"

"You're bluffing."

"Quite on the contrary, I am one hundred percent serious." He held a small black remote with a red button in his hand. He moved the image on the screen so he could show her exactly where they had planted the bomb.

Last week I had my robeast plant it, what fools you are for thinking I'd give up so easily! You should have known I was up to something more. So what is it going to be your Majesty? You can either surrender and be my prisoner or I can destroy your planted right here right now." Maahox looked deep into her eyes as a malicious smile formed on his face.

Despair hung heavy in her heart, there was no way she could get that remote control out of his hand without him activating it. She was going to have to give in to his terms, there was no way around it.

"Why do you want me when you could just take the planet?" She had to know, if he wanted he could have her and all her people as slaves this instant, why did he want just her?

"You will be the downfall of Voltron."

"No I won't. Voltron would never risk the safety of Arus and the universe just to rescue me."

"I'm not so sure about that, not when the commander is in love. I don't think he'll rest till your safe. But let's say you're right and they don't try a rescue attempt. What do you think will happen when I turn you into a robeast and they'll be forced to kill you? They will come and I'll be ready. That is as long as you don't destroy them yourselves, you're going to be quite a powerful robeast. The time is up you can come with me now or I'll blow up your planet to bits."

There were so many emotions tumbling inside her; despair, anger, worry, surprise. She wanted to fight and she couldn't. Now she was going to die, just like her parents. There was no way she would let Maahox turn her into a robeast. Even though no one else could move or talk she felt the tension, she could hear them shouting for her to stay. But she had no choice. She could feel Keith's eyes burn into her back, she could feel his heart breaking, it felt just like her own. Had it only been this morning that she stood safe in his embrace?

She couldn't meet anyone's eyes because then she wouldn't have had the strength to do what she needed to do.

"Don't come after me." She said to them.

"If I do this, if I surrender do you promise to dislodge the bomb and leave my people in peace?"

"I'll dislodged the bomb after a time but that's all I can promise."

"You may have won for right now Maahox, but you will not get the victory you are seeking." Her head held high and shoulders back she surrendered gracefully.

"I'm sure you would like to think that." Maahox handcuffed her and removed her voltcom. "Can't have this now can we?" He said and laughed.

He turned and made eye contact with everyone in the room before he spoke next. "Don't think of following us too closely, the bomb is still intact and very _very_ active. I'm leaving my servant here, I shall be notified if anything happens. In the mean time I'll continue to play this delightful footage I found."

Maahox lead Allura out to his ship. She stole a glance behind her when they had reached outside, she knew in her heart this would be the last time she'd ever see her planet. There was no coming back, not for her. A tear trickled down her cheek as she stepped onto Maahox's ship and watched her home disappear.

/

"NO!" Keith yelled with rage. As soon as Maahox's ship left the fear had lessened even though the video clip still played.

He couldn't lose her, he wouldn't. Before anyone could stop him he was already in Black. He was going to get Allura back _now._ Red was all he could see, anger tinting his gaze.

All of the sudden he was thrown out of Black, the Black Lion had finally rejected him. But why, why now?

He could feel the message in his heart that Black gave to him. He had chosen Allura over the Force. He almost put those he protected for so long at risk just to save her. He had chosen and he couldn't be commander anymore.

He didn't know what exactly this would mean for the team, but they would worry about it later. Right now they had to figure out how to get Allura back.

He got back to the control room only to have Lance hit him on the head.

"Dude! What were you thinking?" Lance yelled at him. "I know we have to get Allura back but we have to take care of the bomb first! That's the whole reason she surrendered!"

"I know Lance!" Keith yelled back. "I wasn't thinking, I'm sorry. You would've done the same thing if it was Keira."

Lance only scowled back at him. Keith knew that Lance was right though, they had to remove the bomb before they had any chance at rescuing Allura.

"Pidge, how soon can we get this bomb removed?"


End file.
